


Charmed Life

by Sirith_Tower



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, breath of the wild
Genre: F/M, Misunderstandings, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, making it up as I go, maybe? - Freeform, sorta?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2020-10-24 18:55:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20710895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirith_Tower/pseuds/Sirith_Tower
Summary: Darling Reader!You are a merchant! Not just any merchant. You have been predestined to be the Luck Merchant! Which means you are basically responsible for all the close calls and lucky breaks any hero or otherwise goes through.Looks like the goddesses have guided you to Zora’s Domain itself to bring your luck to those in need! But it looks like your luck might just run out when you come face to face with a stranger you know for a fact doesn't need luck to begin with.





	1. Lucky Break

**Author's Note:**

> I really want this to be a fluffy sort of thing but I want y'all to fall in love like... Realistically? I don't know. I'm using She/her pronouns but let me know if you'd prefer I go all first-person ”You” kinda feel so I could change it. I can never decide which one is more immersive to me.
> 
> Oh and just a note here. Whenever you see this funny line here:
> 
> ”_______”
> 
> It's just a blank to fill your name in. 
> 
> I'll admit I don't like the (y/n) or (y/?) whatever's cause my brain automatically tries to decipher it and I lose the momentum in the story.
> 
> Let me know if you think otherwise.

Being a merchant you needed to be smart about where you put up shop. Most cases you could find all sorts of vendors in the town squares or heavy traffic roads. _______, on the other hand, preferred more secluded locations where she knew her fated customers would find her.

Her wares didn't seem like much. A few talismans here and there, bracelets, stringed necklaces and other charms were the source of her income. Not many people had a desire for such simple things but goddess knows some lucky few had a need for them.

After a long journey, she found herself at the outskirts of Zora’s Domain. She learned early on not to question the guidance of the goddesses and set straight to work in finding a secluded spot to settle into.

Her cart, though heavy, was rather easy to move along with it being built over a wheelbarrow. It's moved with little difficulty to a shady area just off to the side of the bridges entrance. It would've been delightful to venture further in, to see what wonders the domain held but she knew better than to yearn for something so impossible. As far as anyone knew the Domain didn't allow outsiders inside let alone a merchant woman with only a barrel full of ”accesories”

Setting straight to work with her shop, the cover of the bin was opened up to expand into a table. Just underneath was a board that easily notched itself to the table. On this, she could hang all the inventory then place a few baskets filled with bits and bobbles along the fronts. From the sides she unhooked her awning and draped it neatly across the dowels attached to the top of the cart providing her a bit of extra shade.

”All done! Now let's see who the winds of fate bring me today.” Grabbing the one cushion from the back of the cart she took a seat and proceeded to pull out bits of beading and pieces of string out of her apron to work on one of her latest creations.

It was a quiet, sunny day with a cold breeze coming from the waters of the Domain but _______ was perfectly content. Some would say the life of a merchant was a lonely one during the travels and slow seasons of the year. For ________ it was even more so since her business was strictly for select clientele. Still deep down she knew she was made for this. The quiet serenity of being able to create something for people who needed it most. Luck.

No sooner had she begun her new bracelet she heard a rustle in the brush and soon a young man came out looking rather surprised to see her. She merely smiled and gave her usual greeting.

”Greetings traveler! I hope you find something to your liking. I have a vast inventory of talismans, charms, and amulets. Please let me know if anything catches your eye.” He looked a bit curiously at her then the cart but seemed to accept the fact that yes there was a hidden merchant outside Zora’s Domain. He nodded to her politely before walking over to the cart, see what she had to offer. 

_______ had no fear of him taking anything as she continued to braid beads into her twined fingers. In an odd sort of magical rule; only those who truly needed her would find her and since she started her journey not once had she been robbed of her goods.

Taking a peek to sate her curious nature she could see the man was Hylian, quiet sort, and seemed to know what he was looking at even though she hadn't really labeled anything as to what their purpose was. Soon enough though he picked a simple hemp bracelet with a solitary blue bead weaved into it. It matched the blondes eye color perfectly.

”Ah I see. A simple luck charm. It's will break as soon as you need a bit of luck on your side. 5 rupees please.” Without a word he pulled out his purse and handed over what she asked. He made a motion of thanks before eyeing her cart one last time and proceeded to trample off into the brush once more.

”I suppose that could be it for now. Time to get some food.” Putting off her work for now she put up a sign.

OUT TO LUNCH

Seemingly out of nowhere she pulled out her fishing pole from behind her cart and started off towards the lake.

Alone again.

She found it so strange that she felt any sort of loneliness so suddenly. After so many years in her line of work, you'd think she'd be used to it.

”Heh, maybe I'm getting old.” It bothered her how many of her clients were of the mute variety. Not that she had anything against that. It would be nice to have some pleasant conversation once in a while though.

The afternoon came and went. In the end, she had caught a bass that would be sufficient enough for dinner. The goddesses still provided her with what she needed at the time. It was one of the facts she could comfort herself with. In a way she wasn't alone. She had her providers, though silent, ever-present in her life. She couldn't recall a time where she starved or felt in any danger. Living off the land came easy enough for her because of the trust she put in her goddesses.

So why was she feeling so isolated now?

Nightfall approached. _______ sat on her cushion still keeping the gloomy thoughts at bay as she ate her meal in peace. She was chastising herself for being so needy. Was she not happy with what she had? She was free to come and go where she pleased. There was no permanent roof over her head but she never went a night suffering any harsh elements. Her belly was usually full and she was doing a job that brought her immense satisfaction. The goddesses always provided!

”... Why am I like this now?”

Her heart stops when she hears a loud crash from behind her.

”Oh... I do believe that I didn't gauge the distance carefully.”

______ took hold of the stick that still held her half-eaten fish to wield as a weapon before facing what she believed to be a monster. But she was wrong.

It was much worse.

There where her cart used to be was a pile of splintered wood and scattered jewelry. In the center of all that was the tallest, reddest, most fishy looking giant of a man she had ever laid eyes on. And he was brushing himself off of her cart’s debris.

”I do apologize for the sudden entrance. I was very excited to meet you you see and well I might have made a slight miscalculation in my landing.”

She screamed.

Out of fear, anger, maybe both?

Either way. 

It seemed her luck had run out.


	2. Brilliant Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darling Reader!
> 
> It would look like you'll be having a bleak outlook in this chapter but believe me! Your luck will change when His Royal Highness comes up with a plan~

”Please! I'm terribly sorry! I meant you no harm young one!”

You didn't realize you were still screaming until you ran forward and tried to pick up the remains of your cart, forcing the intruder to step aside. He watched you as you helplessly grabbed at what looked like jewelry of sorts.

”My-my cart! The charms! How could you?!” This was terrible. How were you going to carry everything? You wouldn't be able to leave here without your cart. The road down to the nearest town was treacherous enough as it was, let alone having to carry an armload of supplies.

”I do apologize! Here, let me help you.” The Zora, or what you assumed was a Zora, began to gather up what he could see in the light of the campfire, only to bring it to a still fuming vendor.

“Have you any idea what you’ve done?!” You looked up at him angrily. Any sane person would recognize that despite your anger this Zora was nearly three times your size, and you posed no threat to him whatsoever. Still, you bared your teeth at him in frustration. The Zora only looked baffled, but understood you were upset.

“I’m so sorry! I could pay you back for all this um ... what are these? Bits of string? I have enough to even buy you a new... what was this? A wheelbarrow of sorts? I could buy you a whole cart! You won’t need to worry about this pile of splinters anymore, small one. I can get you the finest of transportation to pay for the damages. It seems as though you might have needed my assistance anyway!” You were reminded as to why you preferred to be alone. You had a nasty temper and you were about to unleash the full brunt of it to a total stranger.

“Listen here, you pompous, blustering old fish head! What makes you think you can replace these so easily?! These were enchanted! Once they’ve broken then the magic is gone!” Tears sprung from your eyes before you could continue looking for any salvageable items. ”Hylia forgive me, I... I don't even know if I'll be able to replace the amulets.”

The Zora was at a loss. He'd been so excited to see the jewelry maker his friend had mentioned to him. He never thought much about good luck charms and yet here was this young woman despairing over a few trinkets. No, not trinkets, this was probably her livelihood.

”Miss, I do apologize. Please allow me to make it up to you.” You didn't move. You didn't know this being. You didn't know if he was friend or foe, and frankly, you were too upset to care.

”I’m sorry too... But I would like to be left alone now.” He made no move to leave so in your anger you tossed aside whatever bits you had in your hands to shout. ”Please leave!”

You could see the pain in his face but made no move to stop him from walking away or diving back into the water he had unfortunately emerged from. Even if it gave you some relief to be alone again, it didn’t last long.

Kneeling down on the ground you assessed the damage, but it only made your gut wretch in awful ways. Every bit of wood had been broken. The awning had rips all over. Most of the charms were broken and torn. Even the wheelbarrow was dented, it’s wheel now snapped out of place. 

In total you had a small basket full of bracelets, a handful of charms, and a broken shop. To most people it seemed easily replaceable but this was your whole life. You had spent more than a decade with your makeshift shop and now it had been reduced to splinters. All the attention, time and effort you put into making this to your exact tastes was broken in seconds. Then there was the fact you had little money to even try to buy a replacement. Still, the guilt crept slowly into your heart. He was a stranger, but also a possible customer. What if he had come for one of her charms? She rarely encountered anyone she wasn't meant to help.

“... I shouldn’t have been so angry.” Whoever that Zora was, surely he hadn't meant to cause so much destruction. If he had, he probably would've eaten you. Remembering just how tall he was he could've had you for a midnight snack. You should consider yourself lucky he hadn't landed on you instead. Supposing he did, then your death would've been immediate.

”Thank the goddesses I'm alright. I mean... I could always just make new charms.” Now the question was... How would you gather enough money to make yourself a new shop? In the end your anger and guilt were at odds with each other. There was no way you'd get anything done tonight.

You turned back to your fire, keeping the destruction behind you so sleep could try and take you away from tomorrow's problems. But even then your mind kept plaguing you with thoughts of possible scenarios of how it all could've gone differently if you had just moved your cart three feet to the side.

...

”It was a miscalculation on my part. I swore I would have landed at least a few feet beside the thing. I thought it was a shrub of some sort!” Prince Sidon was in his friend's room babbling along about his encounter with the charm seller as he paced back and forth in front of his two closest friends.

”I wouldn't be too happy if you were to come and stomp all over my shop.” Captain Bazz had made an appearance after hearing the Prince coming to his Hylian friend in distress. Said Hylian was nodding in agreement, raising his hands here and there to add another point.

”Link how was I to know that cart was all she had?! As I said. It was not my intention!”

“So what are you planning to do?” Bazz had been pretty annoyed at first when he couldn't find the Prince but naturally, he was now listening intently to Sidon like any good friend would.

“I don’t know.” He wasn’t watching Link who was trying to give him some advice. Bazz did him the favor to grab Sidon’s attention. 

“Link’s right you know. You can’t leave her like that if all she had was a rickety old cart.”

“I wouldn't use those exact words to describe it if I were you. She was quite furious with me when I called it a pile of splinters. Oh why in Hylia’s name did I go after dark?!” Both Link and Bazz looked at each other in a knowing manner.

“Because you’re suppose to stay inside the domain, your HIGHNESS.” Sidon only sighed and rubbed his crest in frustration seemingly ignoring Bazz’s chastising.

”All I wanted was a charm like the one that helped you, my dear friend.” Bazz looked at Link quizzically as he still couldn't understand why these two believed in luck.

“Don’t tell me you think in this mumbo jumbo actually works.” Link smiled. It was a complete surprise he had even found your little cart in the middle of nowhere. He originally purchased the bracelet just to be polite. Little did he know he'd need that bit of luck to survive a near-death experience when crossing the bridge. His encounter with one of the monsters still lurking in the area had him dangling over the lake. As luck would have it, he managed to get himself up to finish the monster off. It wasn’t till he was far from harms way that he even bothered to check his wrist. Low and behold the bracelet was gone, snapped off with its luck spent on his little escape just as you had predicted. Bazz just rolled his eyes.

”Clearly it was a coincidence. There’s always a chance you'll lose something in battle.” Link began arguing about the fact that he never lost an item before without the possibility of retreaving it afterward but Sidon quickly shushed him in a panic.

”Please my friends. I just need a way to help the merchant without upsetting her more than I already have.” Bazz rubbed his temples in frustration. 

”You’re the prince. Just buy her a new cart!” Sidon perked up, though his joy was short lived.

”No. She hadn't really liked the idea of me replacing it when I first brought it up. I don't think she's very keen on seeing me either considering the fact I've destroyed, well... Everything she owned. You know what she called me? Never mind. I don't want to talk about it.” It was usually a difficult task to upset the energetic prince. Whatever was said between him and the merchant would be left a mystery so as to not upset him any further. The three friends sat in silence for a bit until Link came up with an idea Sidon approved of.

”If we were to send customers her way then I could repay my debt without having to interact with her! It's brilliant my dear friend! First thing tomorrow we'll set out with coins and hand them all across the domain for the merchant!” Bazz was quick to shut down the plan.

”I regret to inform you Sidon that you have a meeting in the morning.” The prince pouted at the reminder.

”Captain please. I can't delay this. The sooner we help her, the sooner she'll be able to be on her merry way! Link my friend, why don't you go and inform the people in the morning?” Link gave him a pittied look, reminding Sidon that he also would be attending the meeting with him.

”Then I suppose I have no choice. Captain! You’ll be in charge of going out tomorrow and sending some of our citizens out to fund the new cart.” Bazz made a face of displeasure.

”May I remind you that my duty currently is to protect the royal prince?” Sidon only grinned at his captain and patted Link on the back with enough force to nearly knock him off the bed.

”Nonsense! With Link at the meeting I'm perfectly safe for a few hours with him by my side. Plenty of time for you to round up a few dozen of my subjects to purchase some...” Sidon looked over to his small friend who somewhat discreetly gave him the answer. ”Charms! Thank you Link.” The Hylian smiled, happy to help. Bazz,of course, was less than enthusiastic.

”I did not sign up to be your errand boy, Sidon. It's easier for you to send a replacement cart and leave it at that.” Both Sidon and Link looked at Bazz a bit surprised.

”Where’s the honor in that?!” They piped up, outvoting the captain.

”Alright alright... I'll go first thing in the morning. But I'm only doing this because I know you'd only turn it into an order eventually.”

”Thank you captain! Not to worry, my friend. It's for the greater good!” Bazz rolled his eyes at the sight of his prince performing his signature flex, thus sealing his fate.

”As you wish my prince.” Bazz made a mock bow, earning him a playful punch to his arm from Sidon. “Ow? Now I do think we should be getting to bed. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.”

”You’re quite right Captain. Good night my friends!” Link waved them off as he plopped himself into bed, hoping everything would work out in the end. Sidon himself was already imagining the smile on your face when you would start receiving more customers than you knew what to do with.

“Won’t she be surprised?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry my dear friend florita2901 . You will not be getting your cart fixed. But maybe the loss will be all worth it for some quality time in the next chapter!


	3. The Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello Lovely Reader!
> 
> The Prince is going to be putting his plan into action. Unfortunately his expectations are off when he sees you’re not happy with this unwarranted help.

The sun was up and hitting your face, so regardless of how tired you felt, it was time to get up. You removed your blanket with a shrug to sit up and pray to your patrons to give thanks for their provisions. You were also quick to provide an apology for yesternight's events, still feeling guilty about your emotional outburst. Of course, you didn't feel as guilty once you saw the full extent of the accident in daylight. It wasn't any better after you tried making a sort of organized mess out of it. A pile was designated for what was salvageable and another for what you would need to abandon. Hard as it was to accept, the wheelbarrow would need to be abandoned. An hour in and you had nice piles and decided you had earned your breakfast. Amazed at how much a simple task such as organizing debris could clear your thoughts, you realized you were feeling much better. Thankfully you hadn’t put your fishing rod in the cart, l so it was put to use to catch a nice carp for your breakfast.

The familiar silence allowed the song of nature to lull you back into routine. Wind blowing through trees and wildlife making their everyday sounds reminded you how life went on. Whatever happened, you needed to accept it as soon as possible so you could pick up and move on. Yet even as you sat to repair the fabric of the awning, your mind wandered to the sad face the Zora had made before you screeched out his banishment. That was going to eat away at you till you somehow cleared your conscience.

You owed him an apology.

Regardless of the fact that he crushed your shop, it had been an accident. You cursed yourself for not accepting one of his many apologies to you. Maybe you were already cursed? Being alone forces you to think clearly and straighten your thoughts. Just like yesterday, you were starting to feel a bit lonely. It was so unlike you.

”Hello?!” Your ears perked up at the sound of the voice coming from the foliage. In your surprise, you saw two new Zora coming up to you, clearly confused as to what the piles next to you could be.

”Is this where we can find... Charms?” The two Zora were much smaller than the one you saw yesterday. Perhaps they were children? They were hardly any bigger than you and much less colorful too. You were starting to wonder if maybe you had encountered one of the special varieties when the older child piped up.

”Are you okay?” They looked a bit skeptical as you shook your head from distracting thoughts.

”Im sorry. Yes this is where I was selling charms. I'll warn you though. There's not much left.” You reached over to the small pile of inventory and presented them on the cloth you were still patching up as a makeshift display table. ”I hope you find something to your liking.”

The children took one look at your bracelets and were dazzled.

”Look Ruo! This one has pink stones in it!” You smiled as you noticed their headtails seem to wag with joy. You were very tempted to pet them. Instead, you busied yourself in explaining the properties of the bracelets.

”That one is a love charm. You give it to a special person and soon they'll grow fond of you.” The children scrunched up their faces at the thought of such mushy talk. 

”Ew. What about the red one?” The smallest pointed to a particularly bright red stone bracelet made with black leather.

”That's a power charm. Whenever you need a bit of strength it'll give you a boost of energy to help.” The little Zora looked quiet enamored with the fact that a bracelet could grant anyone the power of strength and nearly tugged at their older sibling towards the gem.

”That one Tofan! Can we get that one?!” Tofan rolled their eyes but was already grabbing the change purse for payment.

”How much for the red one?” 

”Just 5 rupees.” They smiled, surprised it didn't cost as much as they expected. You were soon pocketing the rupees and helping the child put on the bracelet.

”Remember. Once you use up the charm the bracelet will break and fall off. So don't worry about losing it.” The children gave you their thanks and ran off back the way they came.

”... How on earth did they find me?” You didn't have much time to ponder when another Zora came as suddenly as the first two. They were definitely tall, but still not as tall as her first visitor.

”Hello there. You must be the charm seller.”

”Um yes! Welcome. I hope you find something to your liking.”

The rest of the morning went by with similar encounters. Random Zora would come and look at your wares then leave with a charm or two in their hands. It wasn’t so bad at first. A single customer here and there was alright, but then suddenly they were coming in groups, which was extremely overwhelming for someone like you who had very little social encounters.

“Are these real gems?”  
“Did you make these yourself?”  
“What is this made out of?”  
“Will this make me invisible?!”

So many questions and inquiries from so many strangers was draining. As much as you tried to keep a smile on your face, the panic inside was threatening to spill.

These were supposed to go to those who needed help, not to curious passers by. Each one planted, searched for, or dug up to become something not only embedded with magic but also a prayer. A part of yourself was in these, your creations that you now were parting with to people who were coming and going oh so quickly. Still, you didn’t have the heart to turn them away, and soon you were selling the last charm to a small Zora child who was hopping up and down as you tied the red threaded quartz around their neck you knew was meant to help choose a path.

”How did you find me?” You asked the tiny Zora admiring the stone in its fingers.

”Prince Sidon sent a lot of us over so we could buy some funny jewelry from a Hylian lady. He said it was to help you get a new cart.” You were not expecting that answer. ”Thank you for the necklace! Hopefully, I won't get lost anytime soon.” The Zora child left you to your thoughts.

”... He sent them?” No question about it. The Zora must have felt so guilty that he sent half the domain over to you to purchase your charms. Not only that, but it was a prince! That fact alone was even more distressing. You had told off royalty, and instead of having you jailed he was sending you customers.

”Why would anyone do such a thing?!” You wanted to be annoyed, but felt embarrassed. What made him think you needed his help to sell anything? You had kept yourself mostly hidden for a reason. The charms were only to be used by those who needed help!

”... But I guess I do need help.” After that sale, you no longer had inventory to carry, not to mention you now had the funds to purchase supplies to make a new cart. So as much as you wanted to be angry, you had to admit; the goddesses had made a way for you to continue your journey.

”I guess I have a prince I'll need to thank later... If he ever bothers to show his face to me again... I called him a pompous fish head. I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot and a fool.” You ignored the guilt building up to count the morning's wages. About 140 rupees in total wasn’t going to be enough. There was also the issue of getting to a town.

”That Zora said his friend sent him. Maybe that means they're actually allowing non-Zora into the domain.” If this was true then it would save you a trip down to another town with just the bare minimum. Did you really want to risk confronting an army of Zora though? The conflict in your head grew, but so did your appetite. It was better to try and think with a full belly. Once more, you grabbed your rod to head down to the lake. After this, you would most likely need to start foraging otherwise you'd soon grow sick of fish.

You managed to find a rather tall boulder just past the shore you could climb up to cast off from. It was a perfect vantage point, and kept you a good ten feet from the water. As you sat on the stony beach your mind weighed out the pros and cons of the matter. Never being in the domain, you were at a disadvantage of not knowing their culture nor the layout of the domain. You did, however, notice they were just as curious of you as you were of them so they were probably friendlier than you thought. Then again, being a stranger to their home they could take advantage of your lack of knowledge. Hours seem to go by. You were growing a headache and not caught a single thing.

”Hylia help me! I'm running out of patience. I just want one little fish!” You were just about to throw your rod out in a tantrum when you felt a rough tug on the line. In surprise, you quickly pulled back expecting there to be a decent fight. Instead, the fish came up and out like nothing, lifeless.

“What on earth?” This was peculiar to say the least. The mystery was solved immediately when bringing “your catch” in for closer inspection. You noticed the perfectly arched teeth marks on its sides. The hook itself wasn’t even lodged into its mouth but rather it’s gills. Whatever this was, it hadn’t been your own skill that caught this meal. Looking out into the water you had a suspicion so you acted upon it.

“If you think for one minute that this makes us even you are sorrily mistaken!” The lake was calm as it always was till a bright red fin poked itself out of the water rather shyly followed by two bright yellow eyes. “Come over here! I need to speak with you!” The lurker hesitated in the water for a minute. You were clearly still angry, and if you didn't know any better you'd say he looked rather disappointed when he swam closer to your stony perch.

”How was your morning my friend? I do hope you're willing to accept my apology for last night.” He looked up at her with sad eyes, not daring to leave the water’s security. If you had been in a better mood you'd probably be able to forgive such a forlorn-looking creature. As you looked at the chopped fish in your hand, the grumbling from your gut and a twinge of pain from your head caused a different reaction to his plea.

”I’m not so helpless that I need you to treat me like a blind kitten! I can make my own way and fish my own meal. And how dare you assume I wanted so many people coming to me to buy things?!” Sidon had hoped you'd be in a better mood. Wasn't it a merchants hope to sell off their goods? This lady was a curiosity to him.

”I’m so sorry! When I discussed it with my peers it was decided that we should help you!”

”And whose ridiculous idea was it to send children to buy magical items from a stranger your highness? It's just like a Prince to assume he knows best. I bet you thought you were being sneaky weren't you?” Sidon was hurt and felt a bit foolish. In his excitement, he believed it was a good idea but now he wanted to be in your good graces so... He lied.

”Well you're right! It's just like the prince to go along with such a foolish idea!” Sidon stayed underwater as his hands wrung nervously. ”Which is why he had to order me to send the young ones.” The skin at his neck began to itch in discomfort. ”Otherwise I would've denied his foolish request!” Oh Sidon, you've never been a liar. How would anyone believe him with such an outrageous-

“So who are you then if you’re not the prince?” You were believing every word.

“Well. You see I’m his. I’m the captain!” You scoffed, rolling your eyes in a way that told him you weren’t buying it.

“Tell me then _captain_. What about that fancy gear you’re wearing? I don’t think a captain would be caught wearing such finery on the job.” Sidon of course was quick to counter.

“I was in a meeting! It wouldn’t be right to be in the meeting with the counsel and not be properly attired!” He was cringing on the inside knowing in his lies he was getting louder, but he hoped the distance he was keeping from you was enough reason for his shouting. In his defense, they were only half lies.

“... so you didn’t send them?”

“No I did, but it wasn’t my idea! If I had known it would cause you any distress I never would’ve gone through with the plan in the first place.” You were quiet for a moment which made Sidon uncomfortable. He wanted to hear you say everything was alright and you would be very willing to let bygones be bygones.

“... Tell your prince Sidon that his captain owes me a new wagon! I suppose I forgive him for sending the kids over since he clearly doesn’t know any better. But I need my wheelbarrow. Until I get a new one I won’t be able to leave.” Sidon released a breath he was holding before coming closer to the large stone you stood on.

“I think that could be arranged! I did offer to replace it for you before.” He looked for any sign of remorse in your features, quiet pleased to see you did look away a bit bashful.

“I’m sorry... I was just surprised and I have a nasty temper. Now Captain um ... sorry your name?” Sidon felt that familiar nervous itch on the back of his neck and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Bazz! You may call me Bazz!” He forced a smile but you wouldn’t know how unnatural it was for him, and assumed he was being genuine.

“Hello Captain Bazz. I’m ________. You can call me ________.” You smiled down at him in a way that eased his nerves a little, enough for him to relax in to a real grin.

“_________! That’s a grand name! Truly unique.” You huffed out a chuckle at his enthusiasm. It was oddly proper, and maybe a little uncomfortable. It was just a name but you smiled either way at the compliment.

“Thanks. I kinda like it... I’m sorry about the fish too. I didn’t mean to be ungrateful. I’m actually really hungry, but I’d rather not have something that’s already been in your mouth.” Your new acquaintance you knew as Bazz was looking rather mortified.

“I apologize again! It never occurred to me how unsanitary it would be to you, but no worries! I can assist you in finding a meal! If you’d like I could give you a ride to deeper water!” He wasn’t very far from you, but you were beginning to think he gets loud when excited.

“You know what? Yeah. I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so happy to get this ball rolling. I was getting worried I wasn’t going to come up with a solution for this. I know Sidon would probably never lie but let’s just see where this takes us.


	4. Zora Boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello Dear Reader!
> 
> You've taken up on ”Bazz’s” offer so you can get yourself a meal. But luck isn't on your side so you're probably going to end up a bit waterlogged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the chapters are a bit short but I am trying to update once a week so... Hopefully that makes up for it? I get ”creative” in short bursts.

You had decided to take up the captain’s offer and let him take you further into the lake where you would surely find food in no time at all. What you failed to realize was that he intended to swim you there himself on his back. In a flash he jumped from the water, onto the rock you had perched yourself on, only to snatch you upon his shoulders. 

”Hold on!” You were in the water with hardly a warning to hold your breath, yet you were surfacing in seconds gasping for air now afloat on the large Zora’s back.

”There we are! Make yourself comfortable. I promise I will make this as enjoyable as possible.” You were about to complain about the possibility of drowning, but Bazz was soon on his way at a speed you never thought possible for someone carrying a passenger. It was nothing like riding a horse. The body beneath you was lukewarm, but still comforting compared to the cool water threatening to push you off him. The up and down movement was very similar to a steed, but knowing this was an individual who was able-minded put a bit of shyness in you. You tried not to think about it as you clung to his back for dear life. You could swim just fine, but he had taken you so far in already, you feared you'd drown from exhaustion if you tried to swim back on your own.

”Bazz!... BAZZ!” It took a bit but you managed to get his attention. He stopped to tread water, looking behind him with a smile.

”I'm sorry, did you say something.”

”I was trying to get you to stop! You were going so fast! Isn't this far enough already?” He looked around, noticing the shoreline was no longer visible and the mist was now dense enough to blur their surroundings.

“Oh! I wasn’t even at full speed. I should’ve thought about your capability to handle strong currents. You’re quite right though. This will do just fine.” He twisted himself to float on his back so you'd be able to sit on his belly. ”There you are Miss ________. Fish to your heart's content.” It was awkward as you tried to get comfortable, but the fact was every muscle felt tense knowing it was so close to another body.

”When you said you'd take me out fishing I thought you meant on a boat or something.”

”Nonsense. A boat would be too cumbersome, and truly it's much faster this way.” He seemed to relax even more so the water was now barely touching your thighs as you floated there in the middle of nowhere. You were already in the water with him, so you might as well not let the opportunity go to waste. It was difficult to pay attention to your line, though. Every time Bazz would take in a breath you felt the rise and fall of his abdomen underneath you. The closeness was nearly unbearable. It was making your head buzz with questions and ideas.

_Could he feel your unease?_  
_Were you heavy on him?_  
_Would he have an urge to drown you?_  
_Why was he helping you like this?_  
_Were you even allowed to move?_  
_What if you needed to relieve yourself?!_

You thanked your deities when you felt the tug on your line.

”Ah! I got it!” Bazz stiffened under you but the fight your lunch was putting up distracted you from noticing. He didn't think you needed help in this task so he stayed still, though he noted as much as you reeled in or pulled it didn't seem to make a difference. This fish clearly wasn't going down easy as the line was stretched straight and stiff enough to play a note on. You grunted with effort trying your hardest to pull back even an inch more, yet the line wouldn't budge making you believe perhaps it was stuck to a rock at the bottom. ”Ugh! I think it's stu-”

You weren't given a chance to take a breath when you were pulled into the water to be dragged through the currents. The water filled your mouth and nose instantly, while your brain tried to figure out what just happened. Your body was thrust forward into panic mode, wanting air but finding none in the lake depths. You wanted to scream, to swim, to get away. Still, your hands we're clinging to your pole while your supposed meal was bringing you deeper in.

It could've been five minutes in your head, but strong arms grasped you tightly in seconds to swim you back up to the surface where your lungs coughed up water and inhaled oxygen in short desperate gasps.

”Miss _______! Are you alright?! I'm so sorry! I should've known you were no match for the fish here! Oh please say something!” You could feel warm tears on your cheeks as you continued to cough and wheeze till you breathed out in desperation.

”Back!” You gasped. ”Take me back!” Without another word, the Zora pulled you over his shoulder and swam even faster than you thought possible. You could've sworn he had you back on the shore faster than you had left it. It was cold as the wind blew on you in your wet clothes causing you to shake.

”Miss ______! Please forgive me! I thought I was doing the right thing. I never would've thought you would end up in the water like that.” You sobbed, the sob became a whimper, then the whimper grew into full-fledged wailing when you saw you had lost your pole. 

Just your luck.

”Miss _______.”

”Go away!” You buried your head into your knees and held yourself as tightly as you could. ”Just leave! Please don't come back!”

There was some silence. For a moment, you considered apologizing until you heard a splash. You looked up to see your companion had vanished, leaving you alone again with a deep sadness filling your gut. It was a feeling you were getting regularly now.

Then again, you still hadn't eaten.

...

Link had been enjoying his time in the domain by visiting some old acquaintances. Now that threats to their safety were minimal, it was nice to just wander and have some conversation here and there. All in all, it was a nice afternoon to which he was intending to end at Miphas statute, but a familiar figure running towards the palace made him reroute. He wanted to know what was making his friend run in such haste. 

He expected to catch up rather quickly, since Zora legs weren't meant for running. Funny thing was, Sidon had ran straight to his room where he was calling him frantically.

”Link! My friend! I need you! I've done something terrible!” Link hurried over to tap his arm to attention, making Sidon jump in surprise. ”Link! I nearly had her drown! She was so upset! She screamed at me! I left her in tears! This was so much worse than the cart. I should've listened to Bazz and stayed inside. Bazz! I lied and claimed to be Bazz! If only I hadn't-” Sidon received a quick punch to the arm so he would bother to look down at his friend who was telling him to calm down in very harsh tones.

”Im sorry. No, yes, I'm calm. It's only that I left her crying on the shore and it was very inconsiderate of me, but she demanded I leave her alone, yet I'm feeling very disgraceful for doing so and-” Link shut him up again to remind him he needed to calm down and explain the situation.

”Well, I wanted to assist her in catching fish, but seeing as she didn't quite enjoy my catch I asked if I could perhaps take her to where she would have better luck! I've done you the favor many times before, and we've had a marvelous time. Only I hadn't thought about the fact your strength against beasts is far superior, so when she did manage to catch a bite, it was too much and it only dragged her down!” Link was trying to imagine you being dragged along the lake floor by your pole and chuckled a bit until Sidon pouted.

”Link this is very serious! The poor merchant was only underwater for a few moments but the poor girl was so distraught when I brought her back to shore she was in tears and now I've left a terrible impression.” Link tried to reassure his friend, thinking he was probably exaggerating, but Sidon picked him up like a doll to practically scream in his face.

”My friend I am not overreacting! I have to make this right!” Sidon waited for him to say anything, and quickly put him down realizing he unintentionally silenced his friend. Grateful to be back on the ground, Link wondered why it worried Sidon so much to ”fix” the situation when it clearly looked like you didn't want any help.

”... Well. I can't.. I can't exactly explain it. I only know that this was my doing and I don't want this mistake to be swept by the tide or fixed by my assistants without my input. This isn't something I wish to send a consolation note for... Please.” The look of desperation in his eyes was swaying Link once again to do his bidding. One long sigh out of him and he nodded in understanding. He would help Sidon with anything he needed to make this right.

”Thank you Link!” Sidon couldn't help but snatch up the Hylian in his arms for an embrace. ”You truly are a precious friend! How in Hyrule did I manage to earn a friend like you?” Link only patted his back with a smile.

Just lucky I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no clue if my interactions with Link are making sense to y'all but let me know if that's a problem. Don't know if it matters whether or not you know who Sidon really is but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.


	5. Lonely Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello Lovely Reader!
> 
> Today you’ll be alone in your thoughts and starting a new project. I’m sure you’ll see “Bazz” soon but for now let’s nurse that guilt a little more~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s a slow chapter today cause I wanted to introduce the whole “lucky charms” concept. I promise you’ll have more quality time with Sidon next chapter.

The sun was setting when you trudged over to camp. It wouldn't have taken you so long if you hadn't been stubborn and sat on the shore, feeling sorry for yourself, half expecting the captain to return with that sorry look on his face again. Your clothes were still damp so with your luck you'd most likely catch a cold.

”Please don't let me get sick.” You tried to remember the last time you'd ever gotten sick while trying to change out of cold clothes and into a dry set. With such a sorry looking campsite, it was a welcome relief to take some of the dried meat in your pack to munch on.

”Why didn't I stay on land?” There was still an ache in your head and a sting to your sinuses from the water, reminding you of what just occurred. Regardless, you started on your fire, deciding to count your blessings. Thankfully you hadn't drowned. You weren't seriously injured or even horribly traumatized, but your fishing pole was lost in the lake so your priorities we're shifting. Perhaps it was time to try entering the domain.

You let your body slump onto the sleeping mat before crossing your legs in your prayer position.

”Hylia... Please help me. I'm alone and I've been... Very high strung lately. I'm asking for your forgiveness for I know I've been very rude to the creation. I'm requesting guidance so I could know what it is I should do to continue my journey. And if you could please lend me your strength because I'm feeling so alone.” That last admittance brought a small twinge of pain in your chest. Though small, the feeling was enough to bring to your attention to just how alone you truly were. For as long as you could remember you had never once doubted your purpose. Now that everything was going from bad to worse it looked like you had been forsaken.

”... Please help me.” It was your last plea before you slipped under the blanket to sleep, though it didn't come easy. Questions and concerns plagued you in the firelight even after it extinguished. 

_After all, you'd soon need to stock up on inventory._  
_Did you even want to bother finding new charm material without a cart?_  
_What if you really did get sick?_  
_How would you manage the trip to town?_  
_Was Bazz okay?_

You did sleep eventually, but your subconscious riddled you with guilt in your dreams, forcing you to see a sad Zora begging for forgiveness. It was a sad sight watching him cry out to you with large tears falling from his face, coming out in trickles, then buckets, then in rivers slowly filling up the space. You pounded at invisible walls trying to escape the torrent, all the while the crying became louder, drowning out your own cries for help till at last the water had consumed you, leaving you blind, cold, and breathless.

“Ahhhh!” Your own scream woke you up in a cold sweat, clinging to your thin blanket as you gasped for breath realizing you were safe and on land. From where you sat you could see the lake. Dawn had yet to fully break, making the waters look black and ominous. Closing your eyes, you brought the blanket over your shoulders to wrap around your body so as to comfort yourself.

It was only a dream and you were far from drowning. Though you were clearly still feeling guilty, your minds eye summoning an image of Bazz with his pout.

“I need to get out of here.” Maybe if you just put some distance behind you this whole thing could be forgotten. With that mind-set you changed, brushed, and washed, though a little reluctant to get close to the water. Sun light would eventually catch up to you, warming up your bones as you foraged for a semblance of a meal. Times like this you wished you had befriended a cucco along the way for the off chance it would lay eggs for you. It was starting to seem you wouldn’t find anything more than a few mushrooms or berries with the cliff sides surrounding you at all sides. Your chances of finding nests seemed more likely, yet the risk of falling gave you pause, especially with your luck lately.

So you resigned with just climbing over the fallen stones and boulders as the greatest risk you'd take for the day’s adventures. This little journey you took around the borders of the domain came with its own rewards. A moment of familiarity washed over you when you nearly tripped over a silly branch. With a smile, you picked up the bit of tinder to examine it closer. It was only as big as your palm, but at one end it almost resembled a foxes tail.

”Finally something good happens.” A quick kiss to your new-found treasure and it was placed inside your satchel for later as inspiration flowed in your mind for the rest of your walk. It put you in such a good mood you hadn't noticed the bowl of rice waiting on your mat until you nearly stepped on it.

”Where did this come from?” It was silly to ask when you only had one suspect in mind. With a sigh, you sat down to pick up the bowl, contemplating whether or not it should be consumed. It was fully cooked and slightly warm, though it could've been because it was left in the sun.

”... Hylia help me. He's being so kind.” You decided the mushrooms would give the rice a nice topping so you proceeded to roast them. It was a quick prayer followed by a quick meal with your hands itching to start their work. The bowl was washed and put away so your focus was fully on the branch in your hand.

The process was straight forward but you always took your time with it. Flipping your canvas this way and that until you were given an inkling of what it was to become. Once you had it, your notebook was taken from your bag for the sketching phase. You never made anything elaborate, but you always needed a guide. You were satisfied enough with the design when reaching for your carving knife. Inside you knew this was going to be a talisman, one the goddesses would bless with a moment of dexterity. This was one of your favorite parts of your occupation. The moments when you'd lose yourself to a creation to the point where the world faded around you, and all there was was the bit of art in your hand. You hummed to it, talked to it, even grazed your thumb across it affectionately as you gave it new purpose. Hours would go by, yet there was nothing else but the blade in your hand carving out the of tail you'd seen inside.

Dusk had settled on the horizon when it was finished. The charm was no bigger than your pinky, smooth against your fingers, and pale after all the cutting away of the bark. You held it in your hands close to your chest as you offered a prayer to the goddesses till you felt the familiar warmth emanating from it. A long black cord was strung through and thus the talisman was complete. You couldn’t help but smile as you admired your work in the last few rays of sunlight. How long had it been since you worked on something like this?

Now that the job was done you bothered to get up and stretch, your body groaning at the sudden change of position.

“Ugh. Forgot to take a break again.” Twisting here and there your eyes landed on the bowl beside you reminding you about the captain.

“... sooner I get out of here the better. Nothing but bad luck.” The bowl was given a quick wash and your fire was brought back from the ashes ready for another night.

The next couple of days you did the repairs you needed for the surviving supplies, you’d procrastinated long enough. The awning was finished patching up, you found reeds to weave new baskets, the hooks from your last display board were removed for reuse, and you had managed to find a couple of feathers for charms while on your forages.

Nearly four days and no sign of Bazz.

It shouldn’t have bothered you. You only had two encounters, and frankly they hadn’t ended well. Still, whenever you managed to glance at the one thing he left behind it stirred up those guilty emotions again.

Of course he wouldn’t come back. Wasn’t that what you wanted? You seemed pretty adamant when you shouted at him on the shore that day.

“I like being alone.” Your heart called your bluff as it fluttered at the sound of approaching footsteps. It was even mocking you when disappointment plopped itself inside at the sight of a familiar traveler and not the captain. Still you smiled and repeated the script.

“Welcome back! Tell me if you see anything you like.” Link looked at you, puzzled as to why you’d say such a thing when you clearly had nothing to show. Though by the way your face scrunched up told him you knew that. He understood though, habits were hard to break.

”Im sorry. I don't have much right now. Just a dexterity charm and a couple of calming feathers.” Link smiled as he explained he didn't need her charms today. He was actually here on behalf of Si... The captain. Your look of surprise was a relief, letting him know you hadn't noticed his slip up.

”Bazz? You know Bazz? You were the one who sent him here the first time didn't you!” You only felt a little annoyed, but the thought of being able to get a message to him pushed the feeling aside.

”Please, could you tell him that I'm sorry! I said something kinda... rude last time and I wanted to say I didn't really mean it. I was just upset and I know that's not an excuse but if you could just tell him I'm sorry and I really wouldn't mind if he would come... visit.” You didn't like how desperate you sounded, but after a few days with a bowl reminding you of your sin how could you not be desperate for forgiveness?

Link looked at her with small surprise before laughing, trying his best to say that the captain had sent him to apologize on his behalf for his negligence.

”Negligence? No no no I'm sorry no. I overreacted. Could you please tell him that? I just... I feel terrible. Especially after the food he sent over.” You went over to pick up the bowl and handed it over to the messenger who gently pushed it back.

”... I can keep it? Oh Um.. thank you. Uh... Link? Link then.” You can tell he is just as relieved as you are that you know sign language. 

“Hey could you do me a favor?” Link seemed curious as you flipped through your baskets to bring him a necklace.

“I just made it recently. It could be helpful to him so... just let him know I didn’t mean it and I’d love for him to come visit me... oh! And you too if you want. I’d kinda like the company.” Link smiled and assured you he would try to pay a visit soon. He knew what it was like being a lone traveler. You could only stay in your head for so long.

You two made your goodbyes so Link could make his way to the Domain. He was eager to bring back some good news to his friend who had been stuck in meetings and inspections of the town, all with the worry that his “friend” had gone without a proper apology from him.

He found him in the throne room speaking with his father. It wasn’t long before Sidon broke away from his side to confront Link, eager for his report.

“Link! I’m so happy to see you back so soon. What’s the news? Did she seem well? She did eat the food? You didn’t tell her who I really was did you? Tell me she is alright.” Link was quick to relieve him with the news you were alive and well. In fact, he had a gift. Sidon of course was elated to see him pull out a piece of cord with a small bit of wood at the end of it.

“What is it? It looks wonderful! It’s a sort of wooden hook?” Link chuckled letting him know it was probably a fox tail, an animal found outside the domain. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was probably enchanted.

“My duties are done for the day. Perhaps I could pay a visit! Miss ______ will know what it’s for.” Sidon plucked the gift from Link’s hand to run off towards the exit. Link watched him leave, not really wanting to intrude with whatever adventure the prince was trying to have. If he was lucky he might get a new friend out of it.


	6. Fish Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greetings Faithful Reader!
> 
> Sidon will be paying you a visit this evening with hopes of making amends with you. Hopefully he'll not only smooth things over but he'll probably gain a friend while he's at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My proofreader is currently indisposed so i had to give in and post this without her review. I hope i did a good enough job but please tell me if i made any mistakes.

Sidon was excited to see you, mostly because he was finally going to clear this whole misunderstanding and be rid of his guilt. Though he had to admit, seeing you again was a bonus. You didn’t make a fuss with him or fawn over him like so many of his subjects. Sure you yelled at him a couple times for his blunders, but he recognized when he was wrong. Right now though, he was eager to share a meal with you and just talk. Which was precisely why he was carrying a rather large cod across the bridge and towards your hideaway, there was less chance of him landing on your things that way.

At first he thought he was lost. Link had assured him you hadn’t relocated, but he couldn’t find you. He started to worry you had packed up and left until he saw your pile of things on the ground. It was uncomfortable to think all your possessions had no other place to be than on the grass and dirt.

“We’ll have to do something to remedy that.”

“Remedy what?” Sidon almost dropped the cod in his arms as his eyes scrambled up towards the tree top searching for the source of the voice.

“Miss ________?”

“On your left!” A quick turn in the right direction and he could see you sitting on a branch with a bright smile on your face. Sidon mirrored your expression while holding up his gift.

“Miss ______! I brought you some dinner.” Your stomach growled at the sight of such a large catch, so you quickly made your way down, much to the impression of your guest. 

“You’re quite deft aren’t you?”

“Hmm? Oh you mean climbing?” You hung for a second longer on the last branch, showing off a bit before letting yourself fall rather ungracefully on your legs, nearly toppling over. Sidon didn't seem to notice the lack of finesse since he was already gauging the possibility of climbing the tree himself.

”Its quite extraordinary really. Zora are not built for climbing. I can't imagine what a birds eye view would be like from up there.” You brushed the clinging bark off yourself, carefully studying his face. He looked so friendly and, dare you say, handsome in a strange Zora sort of way. His color was eye catching for sure, and his eyes were bright, practically sparkling. Something about his teeth made you nervous so you thought it best to get appetites out of the way.

”Um, so would you like to stay for dinner? I couldn't eat that all by myself. Unless your Prince Sidon needs you to guard something tonight.” Sidon was elated to know you were asking him to join you, but your mention of “the prince” was off putting. He felt obligated to let you know he was, in fact, the Prince.

”I would be delighted to join you for dinner! But Miss ________? I need to confess-” you put your hand up to stop him.

”Its _______. Let's not use titles yeah? Let's just be _______ and Bazz. Why label ourselves with ranks when we could just enjoy the company? I honestly feel pretty guilty already for asking the captain of the guard to stay for dinner.” Sidon quickly shut his lips. You had looked at the ground seemingly avoiding his eyes as you said this. It happened frequently in the Domain when his subjects would come to see him or his father. They wouldn't look at them until prompted to, and even then they would look nervous. Bazz, of course, had no such barrier. Anyone could approach him and trust him instantly, which increased his chances at making friends. Why make you even more nervous with the fact he was a prince?

”______ then... And I will be Bazz.” He thanked his lucky stars he hadn’t worn his usual princely regalia and opted for more simple dressings. It would just be two friends enjoying each other’s presence just like he did with Link.

”Great! Let's clean this guy up then and have some dinner.” You went to grab your cooking knife then headed to the water. ”Come on! Let's see if Zora can run!" They cannot, but it wasn't unpleasant to see you strike a victory pose when you reached the shore before he did. If anything he found you rather adorable.

“Haha! So you can’t run~” The smug look on your face egged him on to tease you. After all, you wanted to be equals right?

“Perhaps, but remember that you didn’t do so well when we were in the water little guppy.” Your smug switched to a sad pout making Bazz laugh a bit.

“Hey! I thought you felt guilty about that!”

“Oh most definitely. Though your face reminded me of a little frog. Such a funny little pout.” You we’re not having this and quickly started to walk past him back to camp.

“I take it back. I’m not going to forgive you for this.” Bazz of course reacted immediately.

“No wait! I do apologize! I only meant to tease a little. It’s what friends do after all.” You dared to turn around to find that same sad pout on his face. He definitely didn’t look like a frog. It was hard to see him as anything than a shark; a shark with big sad eyes and cute pout.

“Okay okay. I didn’t mean it. You’re right.” Bazz perked up quickly and grabbed the knife from your hand.

“I’ll clean it!” It was a quick mood change but you ignored it as Bazz started to “clean” the fish. He was definitely excited about it but his control was lacking. You were starting to think he’d never done this before with all the chopping up he was doing.

“Bazz you should probably cut closer to the skin. That’s a lot of meat we’re losing.”

“Nonsense. I’ve seen many a filet in my time and they look exactly like this.” Well that explained some things but you allowed him to continue, ignoring the fact he was making some questionable cuts. You probably would’ve been upset about how much food you were losing but his enthusiasm was contagious and you had to admit it was funny to watch him struggle until he decided his way was in fact the wrong way. You took charge for a bit to show him the proper way which he thanked you for. Once back at camp you had a large filet and two halves which were seasoned then roasted over a nice fire. It was silent between you as Bazz watched you cook.

“Do you normally cook them?” He questioned.

“... Do you NOT normally cook them?” Bazz tried to think if that was information the _real_ Bazz would have.

“Well no. We have our meals prepared for us and often times the fish will be raw. It’s best served fresh you know.” You made a face of mild disgust as you turned the fish this way and that.

“Well most people I know cook fish before eating it. It’s supposed to be good for the digestion. Maybe Zora don’t need that?”

“We must have very strong stomachs then.” You could see a smug smile form on his face.

“That or you’re too uncultured to know how good food is made. You probably just toss things together like a salad and that’s that.”

“I’ll have you know we have the finest chefs in our kitchens in all of the Domain. Why the soldiers haven’t once complained about the menu.”

“Well let’s hear them complain once their captain comes back after tasting some of this!”

You brought out the larger piece and placed it on a large stone slab serving as a plate. It was amusing to see him sniff at it curiously, poking at it, even going so far as to pinching a bit off with his fingers before giving it a taste.

“Bazz it’s not poisonous.” In the firelight you saw a hint of a blush on his face. Tearing off a nice chunk he popped it in his mouth to chew rather slowly. “... well?...”

“... it’s amazing!” He looked so elated you placed a hand to your heart in an attempt to stop it from responding so erratically. You were so sure he wouldn’t liked it after hearing the whole palace chef bit.

“Amazing? Really?”

“I’ve never had fish like this before and I must say it’s the most delicious I’ve had in a while! No wonder it took so long. You have such a talent _______.” You could feel heat rising from your neck to your cheeks. This much praise was a new to you. For a moment you didn’t know how to respond.

“Thank you um. It’s just the seasonings really. I had a lot of practice.” But Bazz wouldn’t stop.

“You shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it. It’s truly a delicious dish!” He ate the rest leaving his plate clean in seconds.

“Mmmm~ I’ll have to tell the chef to try and replicate it. The meals at the palace could do with a few new items.” You looked down at your own plate and imagined for a second what it would be like to have this at the royal table. It was a silly thought really.

“Bazz you’re sweet. It’s only fish. What would royalty want with roasted cod?”

“It’s delicious cod! And I should know after all I’m the prince OH! um the princes Sidon’s personal guard!” You were too lost in thought to notice his blunder. Looking past the shore you couldn’t see the domain on account of the ever present mist, but you could somehow see it in your minds eye.

“Personal guard huh? So your with him most of the time? watching over him and all that? It must be nice to have people fussing over you all the time.” Bazz frowned then hummed in disagreement at the remark as he shook his head.

“Don’t be so sure... You might be surrounded by people but... there's always a need to be filled. Being prince means having many responsibilities. It gets rather lonely.” You looked up at him and saw he was staring at you with a small sad smile. You didn’t like it. Something about it made you feel like a helpless child. It also brought back that sad look you didn't like him wearing,The lingering thought about what he meant was gone and replaced with annoyance. 

“Well let's be glad you're not him and I'm not lonely. I’m fine on my own. I’ve been doing this for years. I’m just curious.”

“Oh of course. I’m sure everyone is curious about the life of a Royal. But believe me. I think you have it much better. You’re quite free out here. The only responsibility is yourself.” That sad smile was gone but his eyes were now focused on the dark wild, away from the lake and the Domain. If you didn’t know any better you’d say he was contemplating on running away.

“... Hey Bazz?” His pupils shifted in size when he focused on you once again.

“Yes ________?” His attention was getting rather enjoyable. His eyes weren’t just glancing then wandering off into his thoughts. When he looked at you it felt like he was really looking. it warmed your heart a bit.

“... Thanks for checking up on me. I know I was really rude at first, but I’m really glad you came to see me anyway.” He smiled in a way you couldn’t help but smile right back.

“It’s not everyday I can sit and relax. Besides, truth be told, I like your company.” Bazz was very open about his feelings so it was going to need some getting used to if he was going to keep saying nice things like that.

“I like you too. Even if you did wreck my cart.”

“I’m so sorry! I want to repay you please!” You laughed and after trying to stop his string of apologies you decided it was best to let him go.

“Thanks again for the cod.”

“Thank you for the meal. I’ll be sure to bring you some tuna to try next time.” Your face scrunched up at the thought of eating raw fish but Bazz insisted. “I’ve had your roasted cod so indulge me when I ask you to try the tuna. Good night Miss _______!” He ran off so you wouldn’t have a chance to protest. Sure you weren’t excited for the experience but at least you had something to look forward to. 

_Next time._

You searched your mind for a memory of sharing a meal with someone but came up empty. This was something you were going to cling to for a while. Having company in the fire glow with a full belly, smiles and laughs.

You settled down for the night after prayer time, remembering to thank the goddesses for another lovely day. You hope you wouldn’t be dreaming of drowning guilt and lonely faces. Maybe tonight you’d be blessed with warm fires and gentle smiles.

Sidon was just as, and if not, more excited about the day's end as he ran to Link's room. He was practically gushing with joy as he recalled the events that occurred on the other side of the bridge.

“She likes to tease me but I teased right back and I realize how ridiculous that sounds but It felt so freeing and a bit frightening that I could be stepping over boundaries and yet she was extremely patient with me after all I never once cleaned my own meal before!” Link was begging his friend to slow down. He was happy Sidon had fun but he wanted to know about the charm.

“Charm?” Sidon looked down at his hands spotting the talisman now bracelet on his wrist.

“Oh my. Heh, it must’ve slipped my mind.” He fiddled with the charm bashfully when he saw Link rolling his eyes at him. “But this is perfect! I have a reason to pay her a visit.” Link smiled.

He wasn’t intending to ruin his friends good mood but he had to ask. Did he confess to saying he was Bazz?

“... Well no.” Sidon could already see Link was about ready to scold him. “But wait! Let me explain. She asked specifically not to use titles and well what greater title is there other than future king?! Link I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. So I will refer myself as Bazz until she continues on her journey. She doesn’t need to worry herself with being in the presence of royalty and I myself enjoy just being a common Zora.”

There was really only one consequence Link could foresee in this and it was Sidon being called a liar by a single merchant who secluded herself in the strangest places. It was hard to say no to Sidon anyway, so he agreed to go along with it for now.

“Thank you my friend! Now I need to ask the cooks to provide me with some tuna for tomorrow. Everything will be alright. You’ll see. Goodnight Link.” Sidon left behind a pondering Hylian.

There wasn’t any harm in making friends but Sidon leaving The Domain with no ones knowledge was still a risk. The sooner you were on the way the better. Tomorrow he’d make sure to help you get you back on the road.

Besides, he was all the company Sidon needed anyway... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link isn't jealous... at least he doesn't think he is. He's really looking out for his friend so what's the harm of helping you out with hitting the road sooner rather than later?


	7. Getting Distracted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salutations Returning Reader!
> 
> You get to have a small glimpse of the Domain with Links help but your visit doesn’t go unnoticed. With you on his mind Sidon is getting a bit distracted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who be leaving Kudos and comments! I had no idea where this was going but I’m getting so pumped!
> 
> BTW! I didn’t post last week so I’m making up for it with this quick scene. Hope y’all enjoy~

Bazz was watching as you made a simple hemp bracelet with knots. Your focus was on the cords in your hands but you could feel his delight in just watching. A twist here, tie off there, and it was complete.

“See? It’s easy~” You held it out to him for inspection. He grabbed it a bit forcibly, eager to admire it in his hands.

“You’re so talented _______! It’s truly a work of art.” You smiled but quickly looked away hoping you were just imagining a blush coming on.

“It’s really nothing. I could make much prettier ones for you.” Bazz eyes rushed to you with a sudden desire.

“Could you?”

“Yeah. I mean it’s not that hard.” Instantly you were off the ground and being shook in the hands of a desperate Zora.

“Make more!” His voice was demanding. You were reminded how easily he could break you by the way he was squeezing you. Any tighter and you’d be crushed like a dry leaf in his hands.

“Bazz! Stop! It hurts!”

“I want more!” He shook you even harder as if it would sway you to move faster but it only made your neck feel like it would snap out of place at any moment.

“Stop! Please! STOP!”

Your eyes snapped open to see Link hovering over you with a fearful stare. He was quickly asking if you were hurt or if you needed anything. You shook your head to wipe away the awful nightmare from your memory.

“No. I’m fine. I just got scared. It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare.” You rubbed the stress away from your face before glancing back up at Link. “Wait you’re here? And so early. What are you doing here?”

Link looked you over once more, double checking to make sure you were okay, explaining he wanted to help you find a cart today. This was a surprise.

“Really? You wanna help me? I appreciate the offer but I can do it on my own.”

He didn’t doubt you could do it but the nearest town was days away. It would be much easier to just come into The Domain to find all you needed by the end of the day.

“You have a point... so why so early?”

Insomnia was his answer. With the recent nightmares you were having you weren’t about to pry. Some things are better left unshared.

“Okay. Um. Let me just get ready. Thanks... Bazz didn’t put you up to this did he?”

Link smiled and assured you this was all his doing. Being stuck here for a few days was probably not good for business. He just liked being helpful anyway.

You accepted this and went about your morning routine. A bit quicker than usual, unable hold back your excitement. It wasn’t every day people were allowed into the Zora city. You imagined the city would be made of coral or maybe even pearl. The streets were probably covered in white sands while homes would be decorated in shells and conches. It was a silly thought but it paled to the comparison of the real thing.

Link had taken you across the bridge and past the guarded gates into a glowing city of soft blue light. The pillars holding up the archways looked like they were cut from crystal while the paths seemed to have dark quartz embedded in the stone. Outside the mist covered The Domain from sight while inside it seemed encased by it. At its center was the largest monument of a fish you’d ever seen with a mouth open wide and a tail pointing towards the sky.

“This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this.” You had slowed down to a stop admiring the architecture and scenery. Link was forced to pull you along by your sleeve allowing you to admire the view. He was glad you were distracted. He wanted to keep you diverted as he kept an eye out for trouble. It was one of the reasons he had gotten up so early. The less they saw you the better, at least for now.

There was no sun to speak of so time just flowed by in The Domain if you weren’t careful. Zora’s internal clocks were impressive because there was the storekeep bright and early stocking the counter.

“Welcome to Marot Mart. Link! It’s good to see you. You’re here early. Whose your friend?”

Link smiled as he tapped your shoulder for your attention to introduce Cleff the store manager.

“Hm? Oh! Sorry. I’m _______, I’m a friend of captain Bazz.” Link blanched, what was he to do now?

“Captain Bazz? Wow. Not many can say they’re friends with the captain. You must be quite the Hylian. Link here has befriended the Prince himself. Must be a Hylian thing. What can I interest you in? Arrows? Rice? Perhaps a new bag?”

“Oh this is a shop! In that case do you happen to have a cart or wheelbarrow lying around?” Link was grateful he didn’t have to worry about explaining things but now he knew it was best to keep the chatting to a minimum.

“A cart? Well I don’t think I can help you with that.” Link saw your face fall in disappointment but Cleff was quick to reassure you. “At least not right now. If you give me a few days and let me know what your looking for I could try to get one in for you.” This was better than nothing so you quickly started looking for your change purse.

“I can put a down payment in if you’d like. Will a 100 Rupees do?” Cleff assured you it be plenty and gratefully took what you had.

“I’ll be sure to let Link know when to get you. It’s nice to see another Hylian around. We don’t get a lot of visitors.”

“Really?! This place is beautiful! There really should be more people coming to see this. It’s magical.” Cleff smiles and you could see sharp teeth were a common trait in Zora.

“Glad you think so. But it’s not everyone agrees. The Elders are still reluctant to let any Hylians in. I’m sure Link probably didn’t want you getting into trouble.” You looked to your escort and found him with a rather annoyed look on his face, clearly not pleased with the information Cleff was sharing.

“Link is this true? Am I not supposed to be here.” Cleff took it upon himself to explain.

“Miss ______ it’s not you. Many of the older folks around here aren’t keen about Hylians. It’s really just an old grudge they have. Don’t worry about it. You can be sure Link will keep you out of their gills. There’s a lot of us who’d like to see more of you around. Trust me.” You relaxed a little but suddenly all the beauty here didn’t seem worth the risk of finding someone less friendly. 

“Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.”

“Well thanks for the business. Hope you come again soon.” You waved him off as Link lead you back out and into the streets. The sky was still bleak but you could tell it would be getting busier soon.

“I really wanted to see Bazz. You know if he’s on duty today?” Link quickly looked away not wanting you to see his reluctance. He couldn’t tell you Sidon was planning to sneak out and see you again. Instead he opted on telling you he was probably going to train for the day, as captain it was a daily task he was obliged to do.

“Sorry. You’re right. I should’ve thought of that. He probably doesn’t have time for a visit anyway. What do I care?” You shrugged your shoulders and picked up your pace to hide your disappointment. Honestly though, why would you care? You shouldn’t be feeling this needy for company. It isn’t natural.

“Could you help me find my way back? I wasn’t really looking where I was going.” You smiled shyly at Link who eagerly began walking back to the bridge, neither of you realizing a certain tall Zora was looking out his window watching you leave in each other’s company.

If Sidon has been a common Zora he would be beside you both, excited to venture out of the Domain and into the wilds for some fun. However this morning there were duties to attend to, so as much as he wished to jump out of the window and run after his friends he resigned himself to put on his royal dressings and head out to meet with his father. Not surprising, Muzu was already in the throne room discussing with the King. Sidon puts on a smile as he approaches, already steeling himself for the day.

“Good morning Father! Good morning Muzu. I hope you slept well.” Muzu with a tired humph replies.

“Good morning Prince Sidon. It’s good to see you so bright and early. The king and I were beginning to discuss about possibilities of trade with the bordering cities.” Sidon could tell Muzu wasn’t keen on the idea but it didn’t matter. For the prince it meant more people, more people meant arrival of new goods and services the Zora would otherwise never be able to reach. Not only that but it also meant he could meet new people and make relationships with other cities.

“I think it’s a splendid idea! Imagine the good it could do for the Domain and the people!”

“Yes but you fail to realize it could also make us more susceptible to attacks, disease and other threats. Should we allow such dealings at the risk of our people’s safety?” Sidon was about to respond but his father was quick to pacify them.

“Now now. We have to resolve this matter and weigh both sides appropriately. Muzu we understand the concern which is why I’m asking you to call for a meeting with the elders. With the Hylian champion bringing in peace to the lands I don’t see why we can’t rethink to open the Domain to outsiders.” Muzu only bowed before taking his leave. Sidon wasn’t pleased with having a meeting so early without breakfast but at the same time he was excited at the possibility of opening the boarders.

“Father, will we be opening the boarders to Everyone? Possibly even Hylians?”

“One Hylian wasn’t enough for you my son? Surely Link is a handful enough for you.” Sidon knew he was only teasing him but it didn’t stop the itch on the back of his neck from bothering him.

“I would just like for things to go back to how they used to be when Mipha was here... things were so simple then.” The King hummed in agreement. Sidon didn’t remember much from back then but he knew Mipha had many friends that weren’t Zora alone. He swore it was brighter and peaceful for their people even if he was just a child then. He wanted to believe it could go back to when Mipha was alive and everyone was... happy. Till then he was going to try his hardest to keep their hopes alive.

“I think I’ll have the cooks bring us breakfast for the meeting.” It was a good thing he did too. The meeting dragged out for the whole morning and most of the afternoon. It was hard to keep his spirits up but he had the thought of visiting you to keep him going. The entire time he would find himself fiddling with the charm on his bracelet before quickly standing at attention whenever a question caught him by surprise. Why was it so easy for his mind to wander to your smile? And your laugh. It was a hearty laugh that would warm his heart when he heard it.

“I think this is as far as we’ll get today. You’re all dismissed.” Sidon didn’t have to be told twice.

“Of course my King! We can pick right back up again tomorrow. Thank you all for taking time out of your day to join us.” He bowed and quickly left the room with as much dignity as he could muster, not caring if the elders were giving him displeased looks. Once he paid a visit to the kitchen for the tuna, he rushed to change into common gear then hurried out to the square to get to the bridge. In hindsight he should’ve known it was a bit suspicious for a prince to be running around with a bundle in his hands. 

“Your highness?! Where are you off to?” Sidon stopped in his tracks and turned to face Bazz himself.

“Captain! How good to see you again my friend!” Bazz knew Sidon was always in a cheery mood but he knew the prince long enough to see he when was hiding something.

“Sidon where are you off to? And with that fish?” He forgot how keen the captains senses were. His fingers began to fiddle with the bundle’s knot.

“Hmm? What fish? This fish? Well you see I just wanted to get some fresh air. What better way to enjoy a meal than having a nice breeze blowing after a long meeting with the elders.” Sidon smiled hoping he would just leave it at that. Bazz of course wasn’t one to prod people so thankfully he accepted the fib.

“... listen Sidon I’m off duty for the night so I’m not going to be interrogating you but please stay out of trouble. You know your father gets anxious. Especially after that whole incident with Link.” It hurt Sidon a bit to know he was making his father worry. It was true one time he left the Domain he had aided Link with the guardian which could’ve ended badly. But he hardly ever got a chance to just have a little fun. This was just going to be a quick visit.

“Bazz I promise I’m being very careful. I merely want to relax and enjoy the night air. I’ll be back before anyone notices I’ve gone.” The pleading look in Sidon’s eyes was enough for Bazz to relent. He sighed and handed him his spear.

“I want it in my hands when you get back alright? Tonight!” Sidon grinned, grabbing the small spear before running off.

“Thank you Captain! I’ll be back shortly!”

“... oh Sidon. What are you up to this time?” The prince was too far away to hear this. He was elated to be out of the palace and in the evening air as he made his way across the bridge, into the wild, happy to see you scribbling away at a book in your lap. He half expected to see Link but he was nowhere in sight.

“Miss ______! I brought the tuna just as I said I would.” When you looked up the smile growing on your face made his heart stop for a second. He did his best to compose himself as you hurried over to him, abandoning whatever contents you were pouring over.

“Bazz! I didn’t think I’d see you today.” Sidon tried to focus and almost corrected you but he kept his lips shut when you reprimanded him again. “And it’s _______ by the way. Unless you want me to be calling you captain all night.” He shook his head.

“No. Please no. Anyway I brought this from the kitchen. He held out the cloth, now turned bag, ready to have you inspect it’s contents. Your eyes were more focused on the spear he carried in his other hand.

“Is that yours? It’s smaller than I thought it be.” With your attention on the spear he mentality scolded himself for not hiding it earlier. Of course being a larger Zora he would have a larger weapon. But you wouldn’t really have information like that would you.

“Well as a matter of fact it is! But!.. but it’s more for fishing than actual combat. Any bigger and it would render the catch inedible wouldn’t you agree?” He was relieved to see you accept his explanation with a nod.

“Yeah I guess you’re right... can I hold it?” Sidon was a bit reluctant but you looked so curious he didn’t think there was any harm in letting you have a closer look. He handed the spear to you which you gleefully looked over with fascination.

“It’s beautiful... I wish I could make something as nice as this.” You forgot to keep your thoughts to yourself and was surprised to hear the Zora come to your defense.

“But you do! I’ve seen your jewelry and it’s amazing. We may work with metals and ores but you have a talent with other materials we Zora have no knowledge of!” You could feel your blush coming on so you were quick to look away. He was just so nice it made your insides squirm.

“Thanks um... so how about that tuna?” You put the spear down beside you as you sat down by the newly made fire. Sidon, now Bazz, was again able to relax as he brought out the dark meat of the tuna to share along with some rice. To his delight you seemed to enjoy the raw fish though it had taken some coaxing from him.

“So you guys just cut it up and eat it like an peeled apple?”

“Well not exactly. We do salt it and I’m sure there’s another step somewhere but I’m not a cook.”

“So what do you do as a captain? I bet you have all kinds of adventures out here! Defending the Domain from large beasts and villains right?” There was something in the way he fiddled with his bracelet that seemed off. You hadn’t meant to make him uncomfortable. Maybe he just didn’t like talking about work?

“Well no not really. Though there was one occasion where I helped a group of fishermen with a monster of sorts.”

“Really?! Tell me!” You we’re eager to hear a story and Bazz didn’t disappoint you. He was an enthusiastic storyteller. Much to your delight he was also very interested in some stories of your own. You always thought it be nice to share your experiences with others but no one ever bothered to stay long enough to listen to a merchants tale

“Once I made a sash of sorts from some silk I happen to come across. I sold it to this guy who ended up marrying the town’s mayor. I think that was probably one of the easier finds. Much easier than the time I nearly got eaten by a lynel.” Bazz’s expression turned from thrilled to horror in seconds.

“A lynel?! But that’s nearly four times your size! How did you defend yourself?” The worry in his voice wasn’t something you were expecting. It was rather touching really.

“Well I didn’t. I had to wait it out under some rocks where it couldn’t reach me. I did get a few hairs from it. Made a really nice bracelet with it too. They make good strength charms.” The concern was still evident even after knowing you had escaped dangers. You were so small and nothing like his friend Link who was well versed with many a weapon. What other risks had you endured for being out here on your own? How did you survive? How were you not hurt? Suddenly the clearing you were inhabiting was too open, too dangerous for his taste.

“_______? Would you like to come and stay in the Domain for a while? Your safety is most assured with the guard at their posts at all times.” You looked up at Bazz to see concern in his eyes along with worry muddling his lips. It was a foreign concept to you. Was he really that anxious for your well being? A silly notion for sure. Besides, you were already aware that Hylian’s weren’t exactly welcomed beyond the bridge.

“Thanks for the offer Bazz but honestly I like it out here. I’ve lived in the wilds practically all my life. I prefer not being a bother and I have my freedom. Anyways I wouldn’t like the whole... boxed in feeling.” You emphasized it by cupping your hands to each other creating a small box shape.

“... so you would pick freedom over security?” You laughed and plopped yourself down on the grass.

“Let’s not get that deep yeah? I think it’s at a case by case basis. Come on just watch the stars with me.” You didn’t see the confused look in his eyes as he hesitantly joined you in the ground to look up. He marveled at the sight. 

There were so many stars.

“... is it always like this?”

“... Bazz when was the last time you relaxed?”

“Well. I suppose last night when we had dinner.”

“And before that?”

“Hm... can’t recall.” You couldn’t imagine what the responsibility of being a captain entailed. You tried to think about what it would be like. Standing at attention waiting for a danger that may or may not be there. Working hard to maintain your strength for the sole purpose of serving the kingdom. What did he do in the Domain all day you wondered if no one was allowed in anyway? It took a special kind of person for that sort of thing. Looking over to Bazz you could see he looked a little tired. Yet he was still smiling. You were happy he was enjoying the view as much as you. Maybe you were just happy for his company.

“... you think you could come back tomorrow?” Bazz looked toward you in surprise.

“You’d like to have me here again tomorrow?” You were quick to look back up as if wanting to continue looking at the sky but you were chiding yourself for sounding so needy.

“Well you know just so you can come and relax! I mean you like it out here don’t you?”

_You like being with me right?_

“Well yes.” Though you being here was a bonus. “I’ll try to come over tomorrow. That’s if you don’t mind my presence.”

“It’s the wild Bazz. You’re free to come and go as you please.” Bazz wondered about that as he once again let his eyes wander across the night sky wishing he could stay here as long as he pleased.

_Free was it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time! I have never played this game. All the information I have is what I’m getting from research. You probably could tell anyway. Let me know if I’m making any mistakes yeah? My proof reader is still out of commission.
> 
> P.S. I have no clue where I’m going with the nightmares you getting.


	8. Determined Dive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hullo My Faithful Reader~
> 
> It sure was a lovely night you spent with your friend. But do you know how easy it is to crush a blooming friendship?

Sidon knew it was late. Entirely too late to be out and about, sneaking back into the palace. It was silly to think he could actually go back inside undetected but the guards were kind, pretending they saw nothing as their large Zora of a prince stepped quietly in the shadows. Besides, they all knew what was coming to him.

Thinking he had successfully avoided the guards Sidon made his way through the palace to get to his room which meant he had to pass by Links room. It shouldn’t be hard considering Link was a heavy sleeper when he felt safe enough. Imagine Sidon’s surprise when Link’s door swung open to reveal not only his Hylian friend but the captain as well, both clearly not pleased with his tardiness. He straightened himself out to face them with a carefree grin.

“... good evening my friends!” He flinched. In his panic he knew he spoke a little too loudly.

“Sidon I thought I said I wanted my spear back **tonight**. Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Well no. I suppose I lost track of the time but i believe it’s still early.”

“Yes. Early **MORNING**. You and I have to be awake in three hours.” Sidon closed his eyes in shame knowing Bazz had a temper when he didn’t have a good nights sleep.

“I’m so sorry Bazz. I apologize. If I’d known you would be waiting for my return I would’ve come back sooner.”

“Sooner? What about on time?! You’re lucky Link trusts you otherwise I’d had a whole squad out there searching for you.” Sidon looked over to his small friend who looked equally annoyed with him.

“Link I’m truly sorry.” Link merely shook his head in disapproval. He wasn’t about to tell Sidon he had gone to check up on him only to see how comfortable he was getting with the merchant. It shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did yet how many times had he invited Sidon for a night out and been rejected on account of duties and work?

“Sidon I get it. Everyone needs a break every now and then but you’re the Prince. If anything should happen to you the kingdom would be at a loss. Consider this a warning. You’ll be suffering long enough with all the work you have today.” Bazz then held out his hand towards Sidon. “My spear please.” Sidon was just about to reach out and hand it over but...

Oh no.

“... I don’t have it.”

“You **LOST IT**?!” If Sidon wasn’t in trouble before he was sure in for it now.

All the while, outside, you weren’t aware of the trouble your friend was in. After Bazz gone you thought you’d try to find new material for charms. If you were going to be here a while then it was about time to get productive. You knew it be morning soon so instead of risking another nightmare you decided to get a jump start on the day. While you tidied up the area you found yourself humming a tune you long forgot the words to. It was funny how good of a mood you were in; you almost felt like singing. At some point you shook out your blanket causing a certain spear to roll out from the folds.

“Hm?... Oh no.” It was Bazz’s spear. “... well it’s only his fishing spear.” You picked it up and examined it. Morning light really made it gleam. For a fishing spear it sure was heavy. “Maybe he won’t mind if I borrow it for a bit?”

And that’s how your day started. With a Zora spear in your hand you hurried over to the lakeshore to try your luck at spear fishing. Easier said than done since the spear was much bigger than you, not to mention you had no experience in spear fishing in the first place. You stood high above your casting rock, spear held up high above your head, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. With your patience one would assume you could stand still for hours on end, but the spear was getting heavy in your hands after holding it up for a mere five minutes.

“How do people do this for a living?” Just as you were about to put your arms down a shadow darting back and forth passed by the stone you stood from. “Okay. I got this.”

Now an experienced fisherman would know exactly how and when a real fishing spear would be used. Since you weren’t experienced with spear fishing nor was this a true fishing spear it shouldn’t have surprised you when you not only missed the shot but now the spear was sinking to the bottom with no way of you reeling it back.

“... oh no.” You quickly scrambled off the rock and trudged through the water to get it back. Yet as you swam towards the place where you supposedly threw it l, you knew; you’d have to dive for it.

“No no no no no no ... oh hell.” Your heart thudded in your chest already anxious at the fact you’d be going into deep water for this. The last time you were in deep water you nearly drowned. Not to mention your mind was exaggerating the memory of the large fish that easily could’ve swallowed you whole. With each passing minute of you replaying the events of your near drowning your anxiety grew till you quickly retreated to the shore to think this through.

Bazz could be back any minute. Then again he was captain. If anything it could take him days to come see you which, at the current situation, wasn’t a bad thing. You groaned in dismay. Why did you think it was a good idea to do this? The fishing pole was still at camp and easier to use than-

“The fishing pole!” You hurried back to camp to grab it along with a thinner set of clothes just in case. Extra weights were added to the line as well as bent wire you found long ago and never got rid of.

“Please please work.” Once again you found yourself on your large boulder, casting off, hoping beyond all reason this crazy plan would get the spear back.

It was ridiculous really. Toss, after toss, after toss you were praying beyond all hope the makeshift hook would catch onto the spear so you could drag it back to shore, still you knew this was like trying to catch a oiled hog with frayed twine. Several attempts were made and in the end you were hot from the unrelenting sun and frustrated with yourself for being so careless.

“Hell. I’m in hell! This is what I get for being such a rude hermit!” You threw the pole down to rub your face hoping to alleviate the headache you could feel coming on. Hylia knew you weren’t about to give up though. Securing your hair tightly away from your face you prepared yourself for what you were about to do next.

“Goddesses please. Give me strength.” You breathed in and out for a moment to calm your nerves, convincing yourself it wasn’t so deep and you didn’t have to worry about anything bigger than a trout. One last deep breath and you dove in, shocking your body with the quick change in temperature. It was late summer but the water near the Domain was always rather cold. As you opened your eyes you swam deeper in trying to scan the lake floor for a glint of metal but it was hard to see anything in the murk. You didn’t last long and quickly had to resurface. Gasping for air above water you looked around to see where you had landed. The distance seemed off so when you returned to the rock to regroup you assumed it be easier to pin point the location. Unfortunately lakes don’t tend to have many land marks to distinguish one area from another. Your heart sank when reality hit you.

You couldn’t recall exactly where you threw the damned thing.

“Bazz is going to kill me.” You sat down on the rock, soggy and cold, with a headache that was getting worse by the minute. You were just getting to enjoy Bazz’s visits. If he found out you lost his spear then what was the guarantee he would even come back? You could already imagine the sad look on his face when you would tell him the news. You’d think he’d be more angry but you hadn’t known him long enough to know what that was like, and you weren’t in a hurry to find out. The guilt and anguish in your heart was heavy on your chest. It was making you desperate.

“Please Hylia above help me find it!” You weren’t about to give up. It didn’t matter if you weren’t sure were it landed or how afraid you were. Somehow or other you were going to find that spear.

So you dove in.

Again, and again, and again till your arms where sore and your legs could barely kick you back up from the sandy floor. There were moments you had to let yourself float on the surface before you headed back down again only to grab fistfuls of loose sand. So many breaches for air turned into you just wailing and screaming at the fact you had no spear in hand. But you were determined. You would find it even if it killed you. 

One would probably think you were crazy. It was a spear. Easily replaceable. But something about disappointing the only friend you had kept pushing you to do this till at last your fingers clamped down on cold metal.

You nearly sang with relief however the battle was only half won. One last kick from the sandy floor and you were swimming up with your prize clutched tightly to your body. 

Maybe it was the lack of oxygen to your brain or maybe the fact your had pushed your body to the brink of exhaustion, either way you could feel your muscles giving up on you even though your brain was clearly panicking at your lack of air. Nonetheless you clung to the spear as you struggled to kick your body up unwilling to let it go, not after you struggled so much to get it.

Air. You needed _air_.

You closed your eyes and tried to breathe in the water for some relief, but all you got was a lung full of water and soon your body stilled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anybody know how to get rid of the second note down here without getting rid of it from the first chapter?


	9. Waterlogged Hylians

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello Patient Reader!
> 
> In this chapter we see how much of an enemy water can be. Who will be the one to find you in your hour of need? If I were you I'd probably be steering clear of the lake. There's only so many times you can drown before it becomes a phobia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had notes of how this was gonna go down and now i lost them so from now on if ya'll were expecting any plot ... there certainly isn't gonna be any now. Again does anyone know how i can get rid of the END end note at the bottom? it's only supposed to be on the first chapter. It just looks silly.

Link jabbed at Sidon’s hip to get his attention after catching him dozing off for the umpteenth time today.

“Hm?! Yes?! No! Um.. apologies. Please continue. Was just thinking out loud.” Link rolled his eyes. The elders didn't appear like they noticed anyway. The discussion was getting rather heated, yet it never wavered from the main point. Should or should not the bridges be open for all people, including Hylians. Link understood their fear. Just because peace was restored didn’t mean there wasn’t evil lurking in the hearts of the common people. The Domain was one of the safest kingdoms in the world, with the crime rate being near nil. To suddenly open up their home just in hopes of a few new imports certainly needed some thinking over. He was about to tell Sidon perhaps they could find a better way to regulate trade except he found his eyes were closed and he swore he could hear a small snore coming from his lips. He sighed. What was he going to do with him? Once more he poked Sidon’s side startling the poor prince enough to have him yelp in surprise.

“Ah! Er.. excuse me. I just remembered I had something important to ask the guard! I think it best if we had a more visual representation of um, the terrain! I’ll be back in a moment.” Sidon bowed before walking out of the room, Link right at his heels.

It was clear Sidon was tired. Even the usual way he walked was less energetic than usual. Link wasn’t very sympathetic about it early this morning, but it was late afternoon now and seeing his friend in such a state was enough to ask if he was alright.

“Hm? Oh! Yes I’m fine. I’ll admit it was foolish of me to stay up so late. I don’t regret it though. You should’ve joined me Link! ______ is such delightful company~” Sidon’s gushing only soured Link’s mood. Of course he would go straight back to you. He wouldn’t stop talking about you all through breakfast. During the meeting he noted his attention would drift too. Link would ask if he was listening and Sidon would quietly apologize saying he was just worried. Most likely it was you causing such concern.

“I wonder if she found the spear? I hope she doesn’t hurt herself. She’s a curious little one you know. Haha! I think it’s amusing.” Link was just about to tell him that he should pay more attention to the matter at hand when he looked up to see something he missed. 

Being a prince he knew Sidon was always worried about keeping up appearances. With so many people looking to him, looking _up_ to him, the Zora had to walk and talk with unmatched confidence to reassure everyone he was in control. It was easy on most days. But then there were days Sidon felt the pressure and his signature smile was more of a weight than a mask. Link had grown close enough to him to recognize when he was having a hard day.

However there were also rare days when Sidon felt so care free and genuinely happy that his smile seemed to reach such depths it had him laughing, and joking, and kept him at ease. 

Right now he could see such a smile on his friend even with the tiredness hanging in his eyes. Sidon seemed to be happy. He looked excited and, dare he say, relaxed. Then that darn frown sprung up once more.

“Link I’m starting to worry. Perhaps you could do me a favor? I know it’s not a task worthy of The Hero but please? As my friend may I ask you to check up on her? If you’re lucky you might even be able to retrieve Bazz’s spear for me!” 

As much as Link wanted to say no, to tell Sidon he had other things to do or that he wanted to stay with him, the small pleading look Sidon was giving him made him weak. So he agreed.

“Thank you! I promise to make up for it when you return. I still have a bit of this meeting to wrap up. I hope Bazz takes long in his search. Good luck!” Sidon waved him off before going off to find Bazz. Link left in the opposite direction, berating himself for being such a pushover when it came to his best friend. Then again, if it were the other way around, he was sure Sidon wouldn’t hesitate to help him. 

The entire walk to your camp was spent trying to convince himself you were a good thing. You weren’t a threat and Sidon had a right to be friends with whomever he wanted. When he reached your area he was only a little annoyed at himself for being so childish. However you weren’t there to greet him in the usual merchants way. This would’ve been a perfect opportunity to find the spear and leave without having to make small talk with you but it was nowhere to be found. Putting two and two together he thought the best place to find you would be at the lake. After all, Sidon had said he managed to trick you into thinking the spear was for fishing purposes.

Making his way towards the shore he could already see you swimming towards the sand only to struggle up a large boulder just past the waters edge. He didn’t think much of it. You were probably having some fun going in and out. Yet it was odd to see you struggle so much. It wasn’t very steep. He could probably make it up in two jumps no problem. Once more you dove into the water only this time you were taking your sweet time coming back up. He wasn’t worried at first. Maybe you were just testing your lungs.

When he reached the beach and you still hadn’t resurfaced he knew something was wrong.

Hastily he jumped up the rock and pulled off his boots, scanning the water for your form. Seeing nothing a fear speared through his chest. You didn’t have much time. Link dove in, immediately opening his eyes to search for you. The lake was so expansive and you were probably at the lake bottom by now. As fast as he could he turned this way and that till he saw a glint in the corner of his eye.

Slipping from your grip was Bazz’s spear gleaming in the afternoon light. You weren’t moving.

Link spared no time to retrieve you. Putting one arm around you he swam as hard as he could, ignoring the spear entirely. He needed to get you to shore. A moment later he was out of the water swimming for all his worth, praying you were still alive. He only dragged you far enough for your head to be out of the water so he could asses you.

You weren’t breathing. In his panic state he patted your cheeks till they practically became slaps to try to wake you. Still no response.

He shook you hard as he yelled in frustration till he found himself crying thinking he just watched you die. Instinct took over and Links mouth was on yours exhaling air into your lungs in his mad attempt to resurrect you. Miraculously it only took a single breath for you to jolt upright to expel the water from your stomach and lungs onto the ground gagging as you tried to take a breath.

“H-help. Oh Hylia, help!” Your breathing was picking up fast so Link quickly tried to calm you down by rubbing up and down your back. “Link? Link I- goddess I almost died. I nearly drowned! I was so stupid I-“ you cried. The gravity of the situation hitting you full force.

“If you hadn’t come I would’ve died! I died.” Your arms moved on their own as they wrapped around your knees, you suddenly shaking in fear. For a moment Link didn’t touch you. It was easy to forget how fragile you were. He spent most of his life time hanging around the strongest and the best, around people who feared little, who could brush off death like dirt on your tunic. You on the other hand were a merchant, magical or not, death was something you weren’t used to coming across with. Seeing you shaken up like this touched something inside him.

So he held you.

For a moment you forgot about your fear. All you felt was his strong arms holding you. Your own arms abandoned self comfort in order to cling to him as you sobbed into his waterlogged shirt, hyper focused on his every move. His hands began patting your hair to calm you down, your head tucked under his chin while he made calming shushing sounds. He couldn’t say anything but it was better this way. You just wanted to be comforted for just a moment longer in his firm embrace.

“I’mm sso soer-sorry.” Your shaking was getting worse. At this rate Link wasn’t sure what caused you to drown so it was best to try to get you back into dry clothes to asses you properly. Standing up slowly he tried to get you on your legs. It was no good, you couldn’t stay up and your trembling wasn’t helping. In the end he was forced to swoop you up in his arms like a bride to carry you back. You didn’t protest, you could barely keep your eyes open as your savior trudged up the small hill to your camp.

“Wait i- Please wait. I need to get- Wait the spear.” As tired as you were your small protests fell on deaf ears. Link set you down and you instantly missed the contact but he ignored your whimpers. While he grabbed your blanket he quickly signed for you to remove your clothes then unfurled the blanket entirely over you, turning you into a dark red ghost. He waited for you to move but you just sat there in confusion.

“I can’t see. Link? Where you go?” You heard a grunt of frustration before hands reached from outside your cover to pull at your shirt blindly. He had succeeded in pulling off a sleeve nearly exposing your breast which instantly refocused your mind to the situation.

“Stop! Yeah! Okay! I get it.” Link quickly pulled back in surprise. With you underneath the blanket he could only imagine the struggle you were having to try and get your clothes off. Your movements were slow with the wet cloth clinging to your skin while trying to keep the blanket over you. Once you were done your arm peeked out from your little tent tossing out the unwanted garbs. Satisfied with your work Link picked up the discarded dressings to lay them out to dry. It didn’t seem like you were going to come out anytime soon when you slumped on the floor like a log. He didn’t want to leave you naked like that but he also didn’t want to disrupt your nap if you really needed it. He opted to remove his own soaked top to dry and retrieve his boots. After all you weren’t going to get into any more trouble while napping.

The little scare was enough for him to see how silly it was of him to see you as a threat. It really didn’t matter how magical you were, you could barely keep yourself from drowning. How you managed to survive the wilds on your own was beyond him. When he reached the waters edge he remembered about the spear. Had you really swam yourself to death just to get it back? You were an absolute fool... determined certainly but a fool nonetheless. The only downside was his mission to retrieve the damn thing was going to be unsuccessful. Sidon would eventually come looking for him anyway, so it was better for him to stay and look after you for now. You were going to wake up with quite an appetite. Link busied himself gathering things for a decent soup to make you. He prided himself in his ability to make a meal of whatever was available to him. It was a bit exciting actually. He couldn’t remember the last time he had made dinner for anyone. Secretly he hoped you’d like it.

It was getting dark by the time you woke up and you felt like you were freezing. You tried to get up but the soreness in your arms and legs screamed at you to lay still.

“Ah! Hmn, hahh.” Your whimpers alerted Link to come to your side, helping your head out from under the cover. “Lllink? Oh gggoddess it’s cccold!” It was concerning how much you were still shivering. Feeling your forehead he noted you were burning up with a fever. He felt stupid for not realizing how susceptible you were going to be for a cold. He motioned for you to wait then grabbed a bowl of soup before dragging you closer to the fire then settling you down between his legs. What you needed was more body heat to warm you. With you leaning on him and some hot soup in your belly you’d get better in no time. It was awkward no doubt. You wriggled here and there trying to get comfortable, unaware of how much Link was really trying to help you.

“Link ssstop! I’m nnnot a ba baby!” With a bit of force he finally had you supported with his left arm around your back and your knees draped over his right thigh almost like a mother holding their child for a nap. Feeding you was even trickier than anticipated. He wanted to keep you covered which meant you had no use of your arms. The bowl of soup was beside him allowing him to scoop a spoonful of broth into you which you took gratefully making a hum of approval. He smiled knowing you at least liked it. With the soreness you felt you said nothing, worried that just speaking would cause the pain to come back full force. Link didn’t seem to mind, in fact when you were done he pushed the bowl aside then pulled you closer in an embrace hoping it would get you warmer faster.

“... I’m sorry. You didn’t have to do this. I’m so sorry.” Link didn’t make a move to reply, he merely shushed you gently to let you know it was all alright. He didn’t really mind actually. In fact he would’ve been happy to tell you he thoroughly enjoyed helping you. It was just in his nature to help others, especially those in dire need. He never would’ve forgiven himself if he hadn’t done everything in his power to help you. In truth that was probably his one weakness. Being too helpful.

“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble. So thank you. I owe you my life.” Link would’ve just shrugged it off right away but he was soon interrupted by the sound of rushing feet.

“Link?! What are you doing with miss ______?!” Link of course quickly assessed in his mind how this might look to a newcomer. One glance over his shoulder and his eyes were met by a very distraught prince.

“Bazz? Oh Bazz!” To their horror Sidon and Link watched as you quickly tried to get up from your spot only for the blanket to limit your movements causing you to wobble then fall towards the awaiting flames of the fire.

This was not going to end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First water and now fire! hope you don't mind the smell of burning hair.  
Yikes.  
Any-who, if Link's lucky then Sidon will totally just forget the scandalous position you and Link were in.


	10. Sudden Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies Reader,
> 
> There's a bit of a storm brewing. Did you become the fires victim? Could the prince be catching feelings? Is Link still planning on running you out of town? Let's see~

Sidon had been working all day and his body was begging him to rest, however when he checked Link’s room it was empty. There was no option but look for him. Besides Bazz had threatened to reveal to his father about his secret outings if he didn’t have his spear back soon. Even with a threat looming over him Sidon was more worried about his friend. It wasn’t like Link to not come through on a favor. Surely if he had the spear in hand he would’ve returned promptly. It probably be a good time to check up on you anyway. Perhaps he could get a clue as to Link’s whereabouts. After leaving his more elaborate coverings in his room he started his stealthy journey out of The Domain.

He’d be lying if he said Link’s well being was the only reason he was risking getting caught by the guard. You’d been on his mind all day. Thinking of the lovely time he spent with you kept him going during the monotony of royal duties. Just remembering silly moments they shared gave him a burst of energy when he needed to take his mind off things. The way you brandished the spear ready to fight an invisible enemy had been quiet a sight. How you almost managed a handstand brought a smile to his face. There were also the stories you told about the stars as the two of you laid side by side on the cool grass. He wanted to tell you that the tale of Orion was his favorite. He wanted to spend more time with you. He wanted to learn what else it was you knew about the world. His head space wasn’t filled with appointments and duties while he was with you. Instead you filled his heart with excitement and a joy he hadn’t felt in a while since…

It didn’t matter. Right now he couldn’t wait to see you again so he could tell you how much he was enjoying visiting you and how fantastic of a friend you were. Just as he brushed past the shrubs into your camp he could see the fire casting a shadow of a figure. It was muddled and for a moment he thought it was possibly an intruder. Then he recognized the silhouette as Link with someone in his arms.

“You didn’t ha- go through al- trouble. -thank you. I owe- my life.” Sidon couldn’t hear everything, but now he could clearly see your head resting on Link’s shoulder as he held you in a way Sidon would label as far too intimate. Something in his gut bubbled up in an angry boil. Though he was usually more levelheaded than this, his body just seemed to rush forward.

“Link?! What are you doing with Miss ____?!”

“Bazz? Oh Bazz!” He saw you quickly get up from your questionable position, then to his horror, you began to fall towards the flames.

“_____!” He didn’t think. It seemed like some outside force somehow pushed him to reach out past Link and grab you from the fire ready to consume you. It was only a second, but it was enough for him to wrap his arms around you and pull you to him. Link was soon up on his feet looking over the two of you for any injuries. You weren’t what happened, but you could smell the terrible stench of burnt hair and singed cloth.

“I have you Miss ____! I have you.”

“Bazz? Bazz what are you doing here?” Sidon could feel his relief turn into near anger, however he only held you closer, trying to remember he wasn’t the prince right now. He was Bazz, a concerned friend.

“I came to see you of course! Miss… ____ you need to be more careful. What were you doing so close to the fire like that?” Link was trying to get his attention to explain about your near hypothermia when he noticed the slight blistering forming on Sidon’s hands. One small touch and the Zora recoiled in pain.

“Ah! Link what are you doing?!” Link frowned as he pointed out the burns. “I what? Oh. I’m sure it’s merely irritated. Hold on! I want to hear more about this hypothermia.” He could feel you try to wriggle out of his arms wanting to see what Link was talking about.

“Bazz let me go! What happened? You burned yourself didn’t you!” Somehow you managed to twist around and free your arms to grab one of Bazz’s hands. The skin was raised with a sheen to it; clear indication of a burn. “Oh Bazz no!” Bazz of course didn’t seem concerned about this, he was more worried about your hair nearly burnt to your scalp and the fact you were unclothed under the blanket.

“____ your hair! Why are you not dressed?!” In Zora culture it was rather normal not to be covered up so excessively, but Link had brought it to light that being uncovered was something rather inappropriate for Hylians. The situation was apparently even more risqué than he imagined. Though you were hardly paying attention to your situation as you were still so concerned about his burns.

“Bazz you’re hurt! We need to get you a medic.”

“I’m perfectly fine! Where are your clothes?!” You stopped your squirming to look down to see you were in fact naked. Completely bare while held in the arms of a rather strong male.

“Oh Hylia. Link my clothes please! Bazz if you could put me down?” Unfortunately, as soon as he did so you crumpled to the ground, your body still very sore and weak from over exertion.

“_____! What’s wrong?! Are you hurt?” Bazz was surprised to hear you laugh, clearly just as confused as he was. You couldn’t stand on your own with jelly legs. Every step you took was shaky and clearly painful. Link came to your aide to cover you properly. You thanked him and tried your best to lean on him trying to slip on your cloak. He looked away as you made yourself decent, eyes focused on the supposed Bazz only to find a rather sour expression on him. Link couldn’t imagine why on earth he looked like he wanted to attack him. Bazz on the other hand wanted nothing more than remove you from Link’s touch. He was holding you much too close, in a state much too inappropriate for mere friends. Link was about to ask what was wrong, but you were lifted away from his side and back into Bazz’s arms.

“I can see you’re in no condition to be spending your nights out here any longer. Link will take care of your things for now, won’t you my dear friend?” He smiled sweetly yet Link felt a bit off about the way he was committing him to guard duty.

“Wait! No, I’m fine, really! Link you don’t have to do that.”

“Oh, I insist. I’m taking you inside and getting you proper care. Link I’ll be back. Please see to it everything is accounted for.” He didn’t give you a chance to reply as he whisked you away toward the gate leaving a rather confused Link.

“Bazz? Wait! are we really going to leave Li-” To his dismay you started coughing and shuddering from the sudden lack of warmth from the fire. You really were catching a cold.

“Oh my. We need to get you in bed right away.” You wanted to apologize for the coughing, but you suddenly didn’t feel like making a sound. Your throat burned and your head felt plugged up in an uncomfortable manner. You tried to regulate your breathing in order to alleviate some of the discomfort. Too weak to muster up any sort of struggle against him Bazz was free to bring you into the city gates.

“Bazz please. I’m okay.” He winced at the hoarseness of your voice.

“I won’t hear it _____. Get some rest. I’m going to take you somewhere safe for the night where you’ll sleep peacefully. It won’t do for my dear… friend to die from the elements when I have the means to help.” It was no use. Clearly he was adamant on getting you out of the wilds and no amount of protest would change his mind. Your body was exhausted anyway and with the gentle rocking of Bazz’s arms you quickly slipped into sleep. Once in the square, Bazz looked down relieved to see you were fast asleep. This was good since he no longer had to worry about giving himself away. Even so he was careful not to be seen while he snuck towards the only inn.

“Your highness! What brings you he-” The poor Zora was met with a silencing glare as he was motioned to be quiet. The prince was usually so friendly, so it was rather surprising to receive such a vicious greeting. Seeing such an offended look from the keeper Bazz made a quick switch back to Sidon with a sheepish smile.

“Apologies Kayden. Didn’t mean to be rude. You see I have a friend here who is in need of a bed.”

“Oh... Well of course Prince Sidon. I’d be happy to offer you one of the waterbeds for your-hold on. Isn’t Link staying at the palace?”

“Kayden I’m afraid I have no time to explain. If you could please lead me to your nearest room I’d be very grateful.” Sidon knew he wasn’t being very polite, but with Kayden throwing his name and title about like a flag he was sure you’d hear it from beyond your dreamland. He’d feel much better once he had you settled down for the night. Kayden wasn’t aware of any of this, still he did what was asked of him and took Sidon to a small room with a blissful waterbed in its center.

“Thank you Kayden. I’ll be out shortly to explain myself. For now, could you give me a moment?” The Zora was quick to excuse himself. Sidon waited to hear the steps fade away to the front before setting you down on the bed, your blanket still wrapped snuggly around your form. “There. You’ll be safe and warm here. Nothing is going to harm you and you’ll recover much quicker than being out in the night air.” The slight snoring coming from you was the only thank you he’d receive, enough to hush the worry he carried. There wasn’t any explanation for his actions as his hand gently grazed over your forehead and into your hair which was slightly shorter than he remembered. It was a shame really. Hopefully you weren’t so attached to such a queer feature. His biggest concern was the heat you were radiating. Surely this wasn’t normal for even a Hylian. “… get well little one. I’ll be back soon.” He was slow to leave knowing he wouldn’t see you anytime soon after this. However now that you would be well cared for here it wasn’t necessary to rush over like before.

“Prince Sidon? Is everything alright?” Sidon smiled his usual way in response.  


“It’s going swimmingly Kayden. I do appreciate your help at such an hour. Now I do need to ask you a favor.”  


“Anything your highness.”  


“If you could please refer to me as Bazz while in my new friend’s presence I would be eternally grateful.” No surprise Kayden looked extremely confused.  


“Pardon?”  


“Also! She is feeling a bit under the weather so I will need to ask you not disturb her while staying here for the time being. I assure you I will have her room and board paid.”  


“Oh. Well. Then I’ll let everyone know that-”  


“No one can know she’s here.” Sidon was still smiling yet it was clear to Kayden his highness was being very serious in the matter.  


“… Of course your grace. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”  


“Thank you Kayden. Link will be along shortly. Please make sure he gets his own room too.” Kayden was curious as to why this was necessary but let it go as the prince left the Inn.  


When Sidon returned to the campsite, he was happy to see Link had packed away most of your things up in bundles. Looking at them now it was a bit sad to see how little you owned.  


“Always one step ahead as always my friend. Let’s gather these up and head to the Inn, shall we?” Before Sidon could even lift a bag, Link was pulling at his arm demanding an explanation for taking you into The Domain.  


“Hmm? Whatever do you mean? She is sick and clearly needs to be properly taken care of to recover. If anything, I should be asking why you hadn’t done so sooner!” Link frowned but admitted he would have if he knew you were so sick in the first place. It didn’t seem as bad as you were now. It had started out as fatigue.  


“Fatigue? What were you two doing out here that you’d tire her into a cold!” Link defended himself relaying the scene he came to before Sidon had appeared. You had been trying to retrieve the lost spear for hours all because you had been worried “Bazz” would be upset; which by the way, probably still is.  


“The spear? Bazz’s Spear! Where is it? Did you find it?!” Link groaned and pointed towards the lake. Was he even paying attention? He had already said you’d been trying to get it back from the lake for him.  


“For me?... Surely she wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble knowing I could’ve easily fetched it myself.” Link was surprised too but as you had explained to him earlier you just didn’t want him getting upset about it so you were determined to get it yourself.  


“That’s utterly ridiculous. I can swim just fine and I wouldn’t have been upset.” Link pointed out you were still very new here and had no inkling of whether Sidon would be upset or not. Regardless, now you were sick and if it was anyone’s fault it was clearly your own for being so reckless. There was no reason to run yourself ragged like that just to get a spear.  


“… It simply makes no sense.” Link sighed and grabbed at the bags clearly done with the conversation. It was better to just head home now and retrieve the spear once there was light.  


“I can’t go back empty handed. Bazz will have my head or worse! He’ll tell my father about my outings. I must get it back tonight… and I need to ask you to stay at the inn tonight.” The Hylian groaned wondering why on earth he needed to do such a thing. “Please. _____ is alone and I won’t be able to be there when she wakes. It be easier on her if she had a friendly face to be with her for the time being. Kayden already knows of your arrival and will have a room ready for you.” Link dropped the bags to say he wouldn’t mind sharing a room with you but would prefer his own bed tonight. “Oh no. You won’t be sleeping in the same room. You’ll have your own accommodations for the night and that’s that.” Sidon huffed sharply and grabbed all the bags not giving Link a chance to help nor ask why it mattered where he slept. Sidon was starting to confuse and annoy him. Sure, it been a long day and he understood if he was a bit cranky, but it didn’t mean he had to be so abrasive. Could it be because of you? After all, Sidon had been perfectly amiable before you showed up; certainly less stressed. This was just more reason to try and get you out of here. Even if you had good intentions all you were doing was causing his friend distress since the moment you met him. Link was too good of a friend to let this continue. One way or another you were going to leave The Domain so Sidon would no longer need to concern himself with someone like you who was only good at making bracelets and causing heart attacks.  


He felt a bit better after making the decision even if Sidon was leaving him to babysit. Maybe this is how Bazz felt whenever he was charged to watch over Sidon.  


“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Please make sure she gets enough rest and get some nutrients in her when you have the chance.” Sidon seemed much happier as he left him there for the night. It made Link smile knowing Sidon trusted him so completely. It almost made up for the fact he was basically being put in the doghouse for the night. Goddess forbid he ever said it aloud in front of Kayden.  


Little did he know Sidon did feel remorse for leaving Link behind. He was so accustomed to having him around he probably felt more comfortable at the palace than the inn. Still he couldn’t have you go to the palace without you realizing who he truly was. You’d become just like any other loyal subject, fawning over him and expecting something grander than he really was.  


No. It was much better to keep you in the dark, at least until you went back on your merry way. Although… the very thought of you leaving burdened him once more but he couldn’t spare a thought on it when Bazz confronted him as he entered the palace.  


“Sidon it’s the end of the day and I’m still without a spear.” Sidon grimaced not wanting to look at the judging stare of the captain.  


“I’m sorry. I can assure you It’s on its way. Tomorrow before lunch. You’ll have your spear then, now please excuse me I need rest.”  


“Sidon, I meant it when I said I wouldn’t hesitate to speak to your father about you sneaking out! And this time it looks like I have proof.” Sidon sighed, exasperated by the whole ordeal.  


“What are you talking about now captain?” In one quick motion Bazz grabbed Sidon’s arm and pulled it closer to inspect only to practically shove it back for the prince to see.  


“You have a burn your highness. Now where in Zora’s Domain would the prince receive such a burn?” Sidon was quick to remove his arm from Bazz’s grip uselessly trying to hide it behind him. “Surely not the kitchens or during a sparring match considering he was busy doing his princely duties all day. Could it be he has been too careless and gotten himself hurt again?”  


“Bazz, for the love of Hylia, don’t say a word.”  


“Sidon I’ve been covering for you as long as I could! Are you aware that Laflat has noticed me trying to avoid you on some days?”  


“It’s the Chief Secretary’s job to keep tabs on the goings on of the palace. Though I doubt Laflat would do anything to jeopardize your position.”  


“Neither her own. If anyone notices she’s been turning a blind eye on me, who’s turning a blind eye on you, who is sneaking off trying to be a hero all the time it’s the end of your freedom, Laflat’s position and my career and if you think for one minute I’ll let that happen so you could keep galivanting in the wilds well you have another thing coming.”  


“I’m not trying to get you demoted captain! Nor will I let anything happen to Laflat.”  


“Well whether you’re trying to let it or not isn’t my concern. My worry is about you getting caught and then me taking the hit for you. I can’t, not when I’m so close to… to.” Sidon waited but the look on Bazz face said he was afraid. Whatever this was it was extremely important to him and Sidon would never want to hurt his friend.  


“… If you’re going to tell the king please do so tomorrow so I can at least get some sleep. I have an early start in the morning to look forward to anyway.”  


“… It didn’t have to come to this Sidon… But you know what Laflat means to me.” Sidon nodded before making his way to his room.  


“I know, I know. She’s your pearl.”  


Love always made things so complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! Who is possibly making Bazz so concerned about the future? What's the big deal if Sidon stays in the Domain or not? It's two am and im tired so hopefully this all makes sense tomorrow when i try to edit this. Thanks for waiting and or reading. Ciao~


	11. Hiding Smiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Readers!
> 
> Nothing much will be happening today except a new player will be added in the mix! Link and Sidon are going to have to figure out how to keep you a secret in the Domain when you tend to wander. How much trouble can you get into when you might become the next Domain Hero!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow posting. I have a hard time coming up with in between parts for the scenes i DO want to write. Just a note here:  
I will ALWAYS reply to comments. BUT i will only reply after i post a new chapter cause otherwise you'll be informed and have nothing new to find. So if you do ever comment on this fic you'll get a reply when a new chapter is up :3

Morning came too soon for Prince Sidon.

True to his word Bazz informed the king about his recent wandering out of the Domain which lead to the prince being summoned. It wasn’t the first time he’d been through this. His father had more than one occasion ordered him to stay close to home where there was safety in numbers. This time would be no different. He would most likely scold him, confine him to the palace then in about a week they would carry on as if nothing had happened.

“Sidon you’ve been crossing the boarders without escort and without reason. Surely you understand there will be consequences.” Sidon smiled almost carefree.

“Father I understand your concern, but I can assure you I’ve been very careful, and I never gone past the valley. There’s so little danger now that the hero has vanquished Gannon. Surely you could permit me to continue to monitor the boarders?” He felt a bit foolish asking permission to his father for something so simple as a job, like a child asking to go outside and play regardless if it was dark out. Some things just never change. 

“You’re making it difficult for me to trust you Sidon.”

“It’s not my intention! I can and have defeated many a monster. I can defend myself just fine!” His voice was getting louder with each rebuttal and he hated it.

“This is not up for discussion. You will remain in the palace till further notice. Whatever posts you held will be passed on to another until you can be trusted to not wander off without an escort.”

“Why must you still treat me like a child?! You’ve seen what I’m capable of! I’ve helped the hero countless times and-”

“Yes! And you have returned more broken than the last. One day you may not return at all. We can’t have you risking your life when our people need you to be here for them.” Sidon was silent. It wasn’t as if he never considered the people. But he wasn’t asking for something so dangerous that it would cost him his life.

“Mipha… Mipha gave her life to the people. You had her trained to be a great warrior. Am I not allowed the same privilege?”

“That was a mistake. One I will not be making a second time. You need to accept your place Sidon. A Prince lives for his people. Now go on and report to the captain. You’ll be under his charge for the time being.” Just a nod from the king and Sidon knew there was nothing he could say or do to change his mind. Lips tight he bowed to his father and walked out to find Bazz.

“… Is that my whole purpose?... to put myself before the people?” Sidon did his best to keep his feelings behind his usual smile once out of sight of the throne. Still it hurt knowing his father had a point. As a prince he was meant to rule over the people after his father was gone. Being the last heir also meant he had to be careful. It didn’t stop his feelings from wanting to burst from his chest. Thankfully years of practice allowed him to continue on and smile. Even when seeing Bazz talking to Laflat freely without a care in the world. He wished he could do the same with you. It was odd how his thoughts tended to wander to you lately.

Same couldn’t be said for you though. As morning came and went, your first thought concerned your body and why it was so heavy. Your head still felt full while your sinuses seemed to throb from built up pressure. However, it didn’t stop you from opening your eyes to see you weren’t outside anymore. The room with its furnishings were unfamiliar save for the Hylian sitting at your bedside. You didn’t dare open your mouth to ask him where you were with your throat feeling so raw, but he was quick to see you were awake and asked if you were feeling any better. You really didn’t want to open your mouth and so you merely shook your head. He frowned then proceeded to reach in his bag to pull out a small bottle filled with a glowing blue fluid.

“I’m not drinking that.” You regret saying anything. Speaking stung and you could taste morning breath on your tongue. Link shook his head signing you didn’t have a choice nor the strength to fight him for it. Either you took it yourself or he would force it down your throat. With a whimper you sit up to take the bottle from his hand. You knew what this was. It was a potion, and not a cheap one either. Not only were they hard to come by but they were hard to make. For Link to just hand you one because of a simple cold… could it mean he cared?

“… you sure?” Link only rolled his eyes and gestured for you to go on. Popping off the cork you took it in three gulps like a champ, surprised it didn’t taste terrible. The effects were instant, your body relaxed and the heavy feeling in your head lifted. This truly was a miracle potion.

“You didn’t have to give me this. Thank you.” Link took the bottle back explaining the sooner you were better the sooner you could leave. Your immediate thought was to leave this room. With newfound energy you were quickly looking around happy to see your things were here too.

“Bazz brought me here didn’t he? You brought my things. I can’t afford this!” Link dismissed your concern explaining that Bazz had paid for it. 

“You’re both so nice I… how am I gonna repay you?” Again he waved it off reminding you that you were in fact Bazz’s friend and he would do the same for him.

“… so that means you’re my friend too right?” Link wasn’t sure how to answer that. He hardly knew you and in his opinion you were getting in the way of Sidon. Still the hopeful look in your eye was enough to soften his answer to a sure. You smiled and practically lunged yourself at him for a hug.

“Hyah!” Link nearly toppled over from your sudden movement but caught you nonetheless.

“Come on! Let’s go get breakfast! My treat~” You were up and off of him in seconds, quickly grabbing a bundle from the floor to slip on a decent tunic. Link watched you patiently as you searched for your change purse almost wishing the potion hadn’t revitalized you so well. When you finally started to head for the door you stopped to turn to him, eyes closed as if trying to recall something.

“… I don’t know my way around here. And I forgot I’m technically not supposed to be here huh?... You wouldn’t mind showing me around today?” You smiled at your silly mistake yet for some reason it didn’t sit well with Link. He nodded, getting up and wishing you’d stop the smiling. It reminded him of some else he knew who always seemed to smile even when he was in trouble. He couldn’t stand it. Smiles were basically lies to pacify everyone around you.

“So where we going?” Link stopped for a moment realizing there wasn’t an actual place for you two to get food. Usually when he was here he’d be eating at the palace or dinning as a guest in a Zora’s home. He also didn’t have his change purse to visit the mart. In the end he decided the best thing to do was sneak you into the kitchens. Besides if an elder should happen to visit, it wouldn’t be so bad if they happen to banish you from the Domain. So with his own deceptive smile he motioned you to follow him, saying he knew the perfect place to find a decent meal.  
You were a bit suspicious though. It seemed like he was taking you to the center of the Domain instead of the bridge. Every turn he took made it feel like he was sneaking a bit too much for your taste. Then again, he had mentioned you weren’t supposed to be there.

“Link do you know where you’re taking me?” You couldn’t make out what he was saying from behind him, so you had to trust him. A few more twists and turns then the two of you found yourselves going through a back door. All sorts of smells you never imagined drifted from a row of boiling pots and pans along with trays piled high with all kinds new foods you’ve never seen before. Link walked in, confident as ever, like he’d done this a million times, but you hung back by the door once you saw the Zora moving about in a hurry. One particular cook with a deep blue apron of sorts walked right up to Link, arms extended as if ready to embrace him.

“Link! It’s good to see you! You want to sneak in a few snacks before lunch again?” Link only nodded then motioned for you to follow. “Mm? Oh! A new guest?! Who might this Hylian be?” So far they didn’t appear to be miffed at your sudden appearance so you hurried over to introduce yourself.

“Hi I’m a friend of Link’s. _____. Um you wouldn’t mind if we had a bite to eat?”

“You don’t even need to ask! Link always barges in here with the Prince like he owns the place. Mind you, I’ve counted all the stuffed wraps so don’t get any ideas.” Link grinned and dashed over to a large basket steaming over a dark stove.

“Oh no you don’t! Miss _____ go ahead and help yourself to whatever is in on the table. Link! So help me I’ll boil you like a crab if you don’t put that down right now!” You held back a laugh watching Link play keep away from the cook. Your belly made a grumble for you to pay your attention to the large bounty of dishes sitting on an immense table just beyond the stove tops. A few other Zora were casting side glances at you in curiosity, but you paid no mind with your hunger already nagging you to reach out for familiar fruit. It seemed someone else had the same idea, to your surprise another hand was reaching for the same fruit only to pull back in shock.

“Excuse me but who are you and what are you doing in the kitchens?” This particular Zora was red though you noted not as red as Bazz. You thought it was a bit rude of you to immediately think she was female because of her bust but you were about to have a little more to worry about.

“Sorry I’m ____. Link’s friend.” The Zora looked rather confused, but she seemed to come to a decision rather quickly, smiling politely.

“Hello. I’m Laflat, Chief secretary. Where is Link? He should’ve been at training with Bazz this morning.” The mere mention of his name made you smile.

“You know Bazz? Is he here? Can I talk to him? I wanted to thank him for his help.” Her face contorted again into confusion.

“You know Bazz?”

“… Captain Bazz? Yes? He helped me last night with my things and I just wanted to-” Link appeared out of no where with a roll   
in his mouth with the cook still chasing him, though he paused once he saw Laflat.

“Ah! Lady Laflat. Kindly tell Master Link to save SOME for the lunch hour?”

“Link is this your friend?” You didn’t feel very comfortable anymore with this attention. You only wanted to get some food with Link and now it looked like you overstayed your welcome.

“I’m sorry I can leave. I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll just be leaving.” Before you could take another step, Link grabbed your arm to pull you back in front of Laflat. 

“Link you brought her in here? You know if the elders catch her here Hylia knows what they’ll do.” You were touched by the concern in her tone, but Link assured her he had everything under control.

“Link maybe we should go. We can always go fishing with Bazz later.”

“I’m afraid captain Bazz will be detained for the remainder of the week.” Link was annoyed but he also saw your face fall.

“Is he alright?” Laflat gave you a puzzled stare, nonetheless she smiled.

“Nothing to be concerned about. He’s just going to be very busy being charged over the prince.”

“This prince of yours seems to get into all sorts of problems.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry! I mean he just sounds… like a handful.” You realized a little too late you might have insulted their monarch yet Laflat took it in stride.

“Believe me he is. Now Link if you’ve got what you came here for, I suggest you head over to training. Bazz needs your help with a situation.” Link could tell you were nervous, Laflat needed to know you were new and there was no way you’d find your way back to the inn.

“I have some spare time before doing my rounds. I’ll escort her.” Link was hesitant knowing Sidon had specifically left him in charge of you. Still, he rather face Sidon’s annoyance than Laflat’s anger. He agreed on the condition you would be taken straight to the inn.

“Don’t patronize me Link. Miss _____ follow me.” Left with no choice you followed her while Link was left to find his companions. You’d be lying if you said she didn’t intimidate you. Laflat carried herself with a regal air, if you didn’t know any better, you’d say she were a princess. Her dressings were pretty enough, and you noticed the book she carried looked rather important. You didn’t like the silence between you. Looks like you were getting used to conversations.

“So you know Bazz?” Laflat paused at your question making you bump into her. She was kind enough to steady you at least.

“Well yes. I’m just surprised. The captain isn’t one to wander out of the Domain.”

“Oh well that was Link’s doing. He mentioned I sold charms and he probably got curious.”

“Charms?... Are YOU the charm seller?!” The shout scared you a bit and you felt like you were in trouble again. “You were the one who gave that child a protective charm. You might not have heard but a child was close to falling to their death! They swore the charm you sold them was what saved them.” Her smile wasn’t threatening but her teeth were a bit distracting so all you could do was mutter a quick thank you.

“No thank you. Once word got around a Hylian was the one who provided aid to a Zora there was a bit of hope for us.”

“Hope? For what?”

“Well you surely already know about the restrictions of Hylian’s here.” You did but you were never quite sure what that was about. “The Prince has tried his best to have the law changed but it’s slow going. Regardless your hand in that situation did wonders to give Hylian’s a better reputation.” You didn’t feel like you deserve this praise, especially since you hadn’t thought well of the prince for having the kids come to you for these. Served you right, who were you to forget the goddesses always had a plan for everything.

“Thank you Laflat.”

“Don’t mention it. Many Zora are ready to welcome you with open arms. Well here we are. I have to return to the palace.”

“Could you say hi to Bazz for me?!” Your face heated up when you saw the puzzled look on her face. “I just!... I really appreciate all he’s done for me and well. He’s really nice.” The Zora pondered this for a moment then smiled.

“He is rather nice, isn’t he? I ‘ll let him know. Enjoy your stay.” You were happy to see she didn’t seem offended and watched her head to the palace. As much as you wanted to follow her you knew it was better you stayed out of their way. You decided to go check on the situation on the cart rather than staying in your room all day. If you were lucky, you’d probably be able to make more friends here.

Sidon however wished he had one less friend with him once he saw Link arrive in the arena for practice.

“Link! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with _____!” with the sudden distraction Bazz was able to push him off from their current position on the floor and point a sword at his throat.

“Eyes on me Sidon! Focus!”

“Time out captain.”

“There’s no time out’s in a battle Sidon!”

“This isn’t a true fight to the death Bazz. Give me a moment.” He ignored Bazz’s angry mutters to approach his friend. “Link, where is she?” Link tried not to be annoyed at how worried he was about you, but he assured him you had woken up fair and fit with some help from him. Of course he had to confess about being caught by Laflat when they snuck into the kitchen, though he managed to get you fed. Laflat made him come to training but had promised to take you straight to the inn. You could handle yourself just fine anyway now that your cold was gone.

“So she’s alright?” Sidon felt relieved just momentarily till he realized you were alone in the Domain without an escort. “What if she gets lost?!” Link pointed out they had soldiers to help if they needed to start a search party.

“You’re absolutely right Link!”

“You want us to waste valuable resources to find a girl?”

“We’re not at war Captain! We can spare a few soldiers to find her for a few hours.” Link rubbed his face in frustration then reminded Sidon you weren’t lost, you were at the inn.

“Oh. Right, of course.”

“Alright that’s it!” Bazz came running towards him in a sudden rage bringing down his sword only for Link to quick parry the blow. It didn’t stop him from continuing his onslaught which forced Link to block continuously. “Why are you defending him Link?! Can’t you see he’s distracted by this girl?” Link knew. Bazz didn’t have to tell him twice. He had seen Sidon slowly make this girl his new mission of sorts and he wasn’t enthusiastic about the attention he was giving her. But Bazz didn’t understand what he did. Sidon needed this distraction or else he’d go mad. If he could tell the captain he would, but the Zora wasn’t about to stop this duel anytime soon.

“Captain please! That’s enough!” Even with Sidon yelling at them from the background it didn’t take long for Link to disarm the captain. No one could best him at swordplay. Though the anger in Bazz’s eyes didn’t feel like he had won.

“I get it! You’re trying to be helpful and all that. But enough is enough! Before you go trying to solve the worlds problem’s you need to focus on what’s in going on inside these borders. You’re a prince Sidon and you have a duty to fulfill just like I do.” Link gazed back to see Sidon look like he had been slapped. “… I know you don’t want to hear that from me, but you don’t have time to be helping every villager in Hyrule. Get your priorities straight.” It pained Link to see Sidon look so defeated and yet the damn smile was still on his face. More than anything he wished he could defend him out loud, but it was pointless when Bazz had a point.

“You’re right Captain. I’ll make sure to finish this quickly and focus on what needs to be done.” Link wanted to stay angry at Bazz, but one look and he could tell he regretted being so harsh.

“… Good. Link we’re done for the day. If you want, you can head out. The prince and I have to make rounds at the lookouts.” Link would’ve joined them however he knew Sidon would want him to check up on you. As he made his way to the door, he gave Sidon a gentle shove. It was funny to see the small Hylian unable to budge him from his spot and Sidon hummed in amusement. It lightened his mood a little.

“I’ll see you at dinner my friend. Give my regards to the merchant please.” Link waved him off and with a nod he was off to find you. 

Unfortunately, you weren’t in the inn. He felt the same fear from when he had first found you at the lake. Had you gotten yourself into trouble again? Why were you turning more into Sidon every day? He asked Kayden and his wife, even Finley if they had seen you anywhere. All replies where the same, you hadn’t been around since you had left with him this morning. He’d think it be easy to find you in a population of Zora but it turned out that scare with Laflat might’ve made you wary to meet new Zora since everyone he asked hadn’t seen another Hylian around but would be delighted to meet you regardless.  
Link was starting to think it was a bad idea to have informed so many Zora about you when you were technically supposed to be a secret. Then he spotted you by the fountain surrounded by many young Zora tugging at your tunic left and right wanting to get your attention. You seemed uncomfortable but you had a smile on. Link just about had enough of this. He jogged over trying his best to let the kiddos know to give you space. 

“Awww! We just wanted to talk to her.”

“Can I touch your hair?!”

“Wait can you teach me how to make a bracelet?!”

“Link help!” there were so many on them it would take him ages to actually get them to leave. So with a quick grab of your wrist he tugged you from the lot and ran.

“Wait!”

“No!”

“We wanna play!” You never been chased in a stampede before, especially one with children just wanting to faun over you like this. It was funny though because just like Bazz had showed you, Zora weren’t built for running. Link was good at dodging back and forth through the city and at some point, he picked you up to jump off a balcony to reach the level below leaving you a screaming mess.

“Why do you two insist on giving me a heart attack!” Link shushed you to listen for the kids run past their escape route.

“… Thanks Link. Guess I owe you another one.” He asked if you were going to be making a habit of attracting unwanted attention.

“No. Sorry. I saw that statue on my way back and I just wanted to get a closer look. It’s so pretty. You know who it is?” Link visibly stiffened. Was this something he wanted to open up about right now? In the end he merely said she was a princess from a long time ago.

“Oh wow. They really must’ve loved her.”

You have no idea.

“It must be hard to look at it though. I don’t know if I’d want my loss immortalized like that.” Link seemed to consider this a moment. You had a point. But then again, he never wanted to forget.

“Hey, could you help me find the mart? I got a bit lost on my way over. I just wanted to see if they had my cart yet.” Link agreed and started to find his way to the shops. All the while his head started to wander remembering all the things he had lost because of duty. All the moments he wished he could’ve shared with others if he had just made the time. Suddenly Sidon’s carelessness didn’t seem so ludicrous. He could tell Sidon saw you as someone special if he was going through so much trouble for you. If he had not just focused on his sense of duty would things be different? Mipha had sacrificed everything for duty. Was it worth it for Sidon to share the same fate?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg I really want to fast forward to the part where you and Sidon [Redacted] but then Sidon catches you and Link being so [Redacted] but not after the fact Laflat confesses about her feelings towards [Redacted] and it's just gonna be a big mess when you find the REAL Bazz :3

**Author's Note:**

> It's a short intro I know but I didn't want to dedicate myself to something that maybe no one would be interested? Then again I really wanna see how this plays out. I'm already working on the next chapter so.... Anyone wanna see how you gonna get your cart fixed?


End file.
